Tales of the Dragonborn
by Raiden2013
Summary: A series of stories centered around the adventures of the Dragonborn and Serana. Current arc: Mead, Drunken Deeds, and Uncle Sanguine. Have you ever woken up and regretted something? Aeros does, when he gets in a drinking contest with a stranger and wakes up halfway across Skyrim, with no memory of the night before. Now he has to try to find Sam and try to fix his drunken mistakes!
1. Road to the Dawn 1

Road to the Dawn 1

Aeros gazed around him, his breath misting slightly in the cool morning air. He had heard some guards talking the day before about a group of vampire hunters reforming called the Dawnguard and, his curiosity getting the better of him, had decided to take a look for himself, see if they were worth helping, or if they were just another group of glorified bandits. He _had _noticed an increase in the number of vampire attacks lately, and they had even taken to attacking out in the open, even in the cities. From what he had heard, the order was just beginning to reform, so he had been expecting an old rundown fort not unlike what he had seen throughout Skyrim. But this, this was breathtaking.

He had found the entrance easily enough, an opening in the cliff on the side of the road. But when he had emerged, he found himself at the far end of a hidden canyon, which opened up before him. From where he stood he could see a lake to his right, fed by what looked like a glacial waterfall. To his left he could see where the path twisted amongst some trees before disappearing from his sight. He guessed that would be where the fort was.

Remembering why he was here, Aeros kept moving forward along the path, his dragonplate armor making a slight clanking as he walked. As he drew closer to the lake, Aeros noticed what looked like another person standing there. As he drew closer, he saw it was a Nord like himself, admiring the view. The man turned towards him as he approached.

"Oh, hey there! You here to join the Dawnguard too?" the Nord asked. Aeros nodded.

"Yeah, name's Aeros," Aeros said as he held out his hand. The man shook his hand with a slight smile. "Nice to meet you," he said in a friendly manner. "My name's Agmaer," he replied. The two of them started walking up the path again. Agmaer talked as they went.

"Truth is, I'm a little nervous. I've never done anything like this before. I hope you don't mind if I walk up with you."

Aeros shook his head. "No, I don't mind. It's nice to have some company actually." He glanced at Agmaer as they walked. He looked to be only a couple years younger than Aeros, probably just into his twenties, with light blonde hair and the beginnings of a beard.

"Aeros, huh…" Agmaer said thoughtfully. "As in Aeros Dragons-Bane? The Dragonborn?"

Aeros laughed ruefully. He should have known that Agmaer would make the connection. Aeros wasn't exactly a common name in Skyrim. "You guessed it," he said with a chuckle. "Just don't go telling everyone my secret now," he added with a grin.

"I- I won't, Mister Dragonborn sir!" Agmaer said quickly, looking overawed at the realization of who he was walking with.

"And one more thing," Aeros said, fixing the younger Nord with a stern look. "Stop with all the 'Mister Dragonborn' and 'sir' stuff. I mean, I'm only a few years older than you; all that 'sir' stuff makes me feel old. Just Aeros is fine." Agmaer hurriedly nodded in agreement.

"Hey, uh, Mister Dragonbo- I mean Aeros, please don't tell Isran I was afraid to meet him by myself," Agmaer said nervously, looking over at Aeros. "Not the best first impression for a new vampire hunter, I guess."

"Don't worry," Aeros assured him. "I understand where you're coming from all too well. Everyone starts off new at some point. I won't tell anyone."

"Thanks," Agmaer sighed in relief. He looked at Aeros again, this time taking in his armor and the two swords hanging on Aeros's back, all of which looked well-used. "You've probably killed lots of vampires during your adventures, huh? I'm sure Isran will sign you right up, the man who defeated Alduin. Not sure he'll take me though. I hope so."

Aeros couldn't help but shake his head at Agmaer's attitude. He kept swinging back and forth from worry to hope from one second to the next. He honestly wasn't sure if the other Nord was actually hoping that Isran would turn him away or not. Before he could say anything about it though, Agmaer spoke up again.

"That must be it. Fort Dawnguard… Wow. Bigger than I expected." Aeros could hear the awe in his voice and looked up. He stumbled and almost lost his footing at what he saw. The fort was a lot bigger than any other he had seen in Skyrim, even those he had seen during some of the sieges he had taken part in during the civil war. The place looked to be in excellent condition with almost no signs of disrepair, and was built on top of a cliff. It was hard to believe that this place had been supposedly abandoned for years.

They passed through the gates of a wooden barricade set up at the base of the hill. As the two of them kept moving, they passed an Orc who was practicing shooting a crossbow, something Aeros had only seen once or twice before, and never in Skyrim. However, the Orc ignored them when they passed and they decided to keep going. As they climbed the hill, Agmaer turned to look at Aeros behind him.

"I guess this is it," he said, nervous all over again. "Wish me luck."

The two of them approached the twin doors of the fort. A large Breton stood at the top of the steps, watching them approach. "New recruits?" he laughed. "Isran will decide if you've got what it takes. Go on, he's right inside." He stepped to the side to let Aeros and Agmaer pass.

As they entered the fort though, the first thing they saw was two men standing in the middle of the large space, facing each other. There was a palpable sense of tension in the air.

"Why are you here, Tolan?" one of them, a Redguard, asked the other, his voice gruff. His head was shaved, although he sported a narrow and well-trimmed beard. He was wearing the same armor as the Orc and Breton outside had been wearing and carried a large warhammer on his back. "The Vigilants and I were finished with each other a long time ago."

The man with his back to them, Tolan, spoke up then. Aeros couldn't see his face, but he looked to be a balding Nord in his late thirties, dressed in the garb that was common amongst the Vigilants, a style of robes of the kind often warn by apprentices at the College of Winterhold. Like the Redguard, he also carried a warhammer, although his seemed to be less intricate than the Redguard's. "You know why I'm here," he said. The Vigilants are under attack everywhere. The vampires are much more dangerous than we believed."

"And now you want to come running to safety with the Dawnguard, is that it?" the man Aeros guessed to be Isran sneered.

"I remember Keeper Carcette telling me repeatedly that Fort Dawnguard is a crumbling ruin, not worth the expense or the manpower to repair. And now that you've stirred the vampires against you, you come begging for my protection?" Aeros could practically hear the disgust dripping from the man's voice.

"Isran, Carcette is dead," Tolan said sorrowfully. "The Hall of the Vigilant...everyone...they're all dead. You were right, we were wrong. Isn't that enough for you?" he asked bitterly.

Aeros inhaled sharply. The Hall of the Vigilant, gone? He hadn't known about that. If the vampires had attacked the Vigilants and destroyed the Hall, it seemed the vampire threat really was getting worse. They had never been so bold in the past.

It seemed even Isran was affected by this news. "Yes, well...I never wanted any of this to happen," he said haltingly, shaking his head. "I tried to warn all of you… I am sorry, you know." He looked past Tolan at that point, noticing Aeros and Agmaer for the first time. He stepped around the Vigilant and walked towards them. He stopped a few feet away.

"So who are you? What do you want?" he asked Aeros, sizing him up. Aeros decided to get straight to the point.

"My name is Aeros. I'm here to join the Dawnguard," he said simply. Isran's eyes widened at Aeros's name, but he said nothing, something Aeros appreciated. Too often people began seeing him as someone larger than life as soon as they found out who he was.

"Got a fire in your belly to kill vampires, eh?" the leader of the Dawnguard asked gruffly. "Good for you. We could use someone like you in our ranks. But look around." He gestured at the fort around them. There were crates and supplies lying everywhere, and the entire place was covered in dust and cobwebs. "There's really not much to join yet. I've only just started rebuilding the order. As this place stands right now, a vampire could simply walk right on in if they wanted to."

"I don't care about that," Aeros said, shaking his head. "From what I just overheard, it seems the vampires really are growing worse, and you're going to need all the help you can get."

"That eager to help are you?" Isran said in amusement. "Well, I suppose you could help train the new recruits, but what I really need is someone out in the field, taking the fight to the damn vampires, while we're getting the fort back into shape…Tolan was telling me about some cave the Vigilants were poking around in. Seemed to think it was related to these recent vampire attacks." He turned back towards where Tolan was still standing.

"Tolan, tell him about, what was it, Dimhollow?"

"Yes, that's it," Tolan's voice was heavy with weariness and grief. "Dimhollow Crypt. Brother Adalvald was sure it held some long lost vampire artifact of some kind." He shook his head. "We didn't listen to him any more than we did Isran. He was at the Hall when it was attacked…" He trailed off, overcome with grief.

"That's good enough for me," Isran said. "Go see what those vampires were looking for in this Dimhollow Crypt. With any luck, they'll still be there." He reached behind him and grabbed something. "Here, take this crossbow," he said, offering it to Aeros. "Good for taking out those fiends before they get close."

Aeros accepted the crossbow, hefting its weight in his hand before holding it up in a firing position, aiming down it. He smiled before slinging it on his back. "Thanks. I'll make sure to put it to good use."

Isran nodded. "Feel free to poke around the fort before you leave. Take whatever you need. There isn't much yet, but you're welcome to take anything you can use."

Tolan looked up then. "I'll meet you at Dimhollow. It's the least I can do to avenge my fallen comrades."

"Tolan, I don't think that's a good idea," Isran said slowly. "You Vigilants were never trained for…" Tolan cut him off.

"I know what you think of us, Isran," he said, his voice bitter. "You think we're soft, that we're cowards. You think our deaths proved our weakness." He glared at Isran and his voice filled with loathing. "Stendarr grant that you never have to face the same test and be found wanting." Tolan looked back at Aeros. "I'm going to Dimhollow Crypt. Perhaps I can be of some small assistance to you." He turned to leave, never looking back at Isran.

Isran snorted and muttered under his breath. "Fool." He looked over at where Agmaer was still standing. "You there, boy. Stop skulking in the shadows and step up here. What's your name?"

Agmaer stepped forward nervously, practically sweating buckets. "I'm, uh...my name is Agmaer, sir."

"Do I look like a 'sir' to you, boy?" Isran asked sarcastically, walking over to get a better look at Agmaer. "I'm not a soldier, and you're not joining the army."

"Yes si...Isran," Agmaer said, nodding frantically.

"Didn't I tell you to step forward?" Isran asked gruffly. He looked Agmaer up and down critically. "Hmm...farm boy, eh? What's your weapon?"

Agmaer blinked. "Uh, my weapon? I mostly just use my pa's axe, when wolves are attacking the goats or something."

Isran barked out a laugh. "'My pa's axe,' Stendarr preserve us." He laughed some more. "Don't worry," he said, looking at Agmaer again, "I think we can make a Dawnguard out of you. Here, take this crossbow and let's see how you shoot." He handed Agmaer another crossbow and had him assume a shooting position.

Replenishing his supplies and grabbing a few quivers of bolts, Aeros watched Agmaer take a few shots, Isran coaching him and offering tips, before he turned and left the fort. He had a long way to go to reach Dimhollow Crypt, and he best get started as early as he could. Hopefully he could catch up with Vigilant Tolan before he reached the crypt. Aeros took a deep breath and started off back down the path. Little did he realize just how big this new adventure would grow, or that it would change his life forever.

* * *

Author's Notes: Thank you for reading the first chapter of Tales of the Dragonborn. Tales is a series of stories centered around the Dragonborn, Aeros, and his friends and allies. Most of the stories will be multi-chapter arcs, although there may be a few one-shot stories about miscellaneous quests or random ideas that pop into my head. For the most part, the stories will follow a basic chronological order, although this is subject to the whims of the author and the Divines.

This first arc, Road to the Dawn, will feature the first half of the Dawnguard questline, following Aeros and his friends as they attempt to stop Harkon's Tyranny of the Sun. Feel free to leave a review and point out any errors and grammar that you see, since I'll eventually make some sort of mistake and not catch it.

Characters:

Aeros: The Dovahkiin, or Dragonborn, who these stories revolve around. He is somewhere between his mid and upper twenties during these tales. In addition to his status as Dragonborn, he is also the Harbinger of the Companions, as well as the Arch-Mage of the College of Winterhold. However, he has no connections with the Thieves' Guild, and wiped out the Dark Brotherhood when they tried recruiting him. In addition, after helping rebuild the Blades, he has severed ties with them after they demanded the death of Paarthurnax, refusing to kill the aged dovah who had so often guided and mentored him.

During the course of Skyrim's civil war, he sided with the Imperials, although he was sympathetic to the Stormcloaks' cause. Outside of his adventures in Skyrim though, his past remains shrouded in mystery, even to his closest friends, although it seems that he does have ties of some sort to Cyrodiil.

In D&amp;D terms, Aeros is what could be classified as a Neutral Good sort of person, willing to help others and generally respecting the law, as well as doing what he thinks is right. However, his sense of justice and right and wrong can sometimes lead to conflict with others. He also values his friends above all else, and if they are in danger, he won't hesitate to bend the rules or defy those in authority in order to protect his friends.

Characters:

Agmaer: A young Nord you meet when you first enter Dayspring Canyon. He accompanies you to Fort Dawnguard to speak with Isran about joining the Dawnguard, as he is too nervous to do it by himself.

Isran: A Redguard, and former Vigilant of Stendarr, Isran left the Vigilants because he thought them too soft and reformed the Dawnguard, which he now leads. He hates vampires with a passion, and has an uncompromising view of them as monstrosities. A brusque and inconsiderate individual, he does have his rare moments of compassion.

Tolan: A Vigilant of Stendarr, he survived the attack on the Hall of the Vigilants and came to Isran looking for help. Despite Isran's warnings, he heads off to Dimhollow Crypt ahead of you in an attempt to avenge his fallen friends. Needless to say, it doesn't go well for him.

Dragon Language: None used.


	2. Road to the Dawn 2

Road to the Dawn 2

"Those Vigilants never know to give up. I thought we'd taught them enough of a lesson at their hall." Aeros was crouched on a small ledge, listening carefully. It had taken him several days to reach it, but he had found Dimhollow Crypt easily enough, right where Isran and Tolan had said it would be. As he walked inside though, he had heard voices and immediately dropped down into a crouch and hid in the shadows so that whoever it was wouldn't detect him.

Now he listened to what he guessed to be two vampires talking to each other, seeing what he could learn before he went charging in.

"To come here alone...a fool like all the rest of them." That was the woman talking now. As far as Aeros could tell, it was only the two of them. But there seemed to be something else there too. He could hear whatever it was walking around but hadn't been able to get a clear look at it.

"He fought well though. Jeron and Bresoth were no match for him." Aeros frowned. They weren't talking about Tolan were they? He had never caught up to the Vigilant on his journey here, and hoped that he hadn't just gone charging in without any idea of what awaited him. His mind clouded by grief and thoughts of revenge as it was, he would have only put himself at greater risk if he let his emotions rule him.

"Ha. Those two deserved what they got. Their arrogance had become insufferable."

Aeros could hear what seemed to be the first vampire sighing. "All this talk is making me thirsty. Perhaps another Vigilant will wander in soon."

"I wish Lokil would hurry it up. I have half a mind to return to the castle and tell Harkon what a fool he's entrusted this mission to," the female vampire said, sounding irritated.

"And I have half a mind to tell Lokil of your disloyalty."

"You wouldn't dare," the female vampire said, unconcerned. "Now shut up and keep on watch." After that, the two of them didn't say anything else that Aeros could hear.

Creeping forward, Aeros shifted slightly to the right, to where he could see one of the vampires standing. Carefully, he pulled the crossbow out from where it hung on his back. Raising it up, he loaded a bolt and took aim. He squeezed the trigger and watched as the bolt flew forward, traveling through the air almost silently. It punched through the vampire's armor and into his chest like it was made of parchment. The vampire collapsed in a boneless heap.

Almost immediately the other remaining vampire ran towards the source of the noise to investigate, along with what Aeros could now see was one of those death hounds that often accompanied the vampires. He quickly loaded another bolt and fired off another shot at the female vampire, but his aim was off. The bolt missed and bounced off against the cave wall behind the vampire. She whirled and seemed to easily pick him out of the shadows.

"There you are!" she said, a feral grin forming on her lips. She charged towards him.

Figuring it was pointless to try and reload the crossbow again before she reached him, Aeros set it down and stood up. Reaching over his shoulders, he pulled out his twin dragonbone swords from their sheaths on his back. The swords blazed with their enchantments, the one in his left hand burning brightly with its fire enchantment, and the one in his right cooling the air around it with its frost enchantment. He dashed forward to meet the vampire.

As she ran towards him, the vampire's hand shot out and a red stream of blood magic arced towards him. Aeros sidestepped the magic, and kept moving forward. As he got closer, the vampire swung her axe at his head. He parried it away with the sword in his right hand while he swung with his left. His blade sliced open the vampire from hip to shoulder and she fell to the ground, eyes already glazing over.

Aeros sheathed his swords and looked around. "Now where did that death hound g-!" Before he could even finish his sentence, Aeros was bowled over by the death hound, which had been hiding behind a rock. He kicked the thing off of him and jumped to his feet. The death hound snarled, its red eyes seeming to glow with hatred.

Aeros reached for his swords again, but stopped himself. "Enough of this," he said, not wanting to waste any more time. He took a deep breath.

"YOL TOOR SHUL!" Aeros's Shout echoed through the air as he released a blast of fire, reducing the death hound to nothing but ash and bones.

"Well, that's that," Aeros sighed, relaxing his shoulders as he looked around. He saw a large opening that seemed to lead further into the caves, but it was blocked by a metal gate. Looking around some more, Aeros noticed what looked to almost be a tower built in the far corner of the cave. Climbing the stairs inside, he found a chain with a ring at the end near a window. Pulling the chain, he saw the gate at the opposite end of the cave open up.

Approaching the opening, Aeros was about to walk through when he noticed something out of the corner of his eye. Turning, he swore. Lying on the ground was Vigilant Tolan, dead.

"You damn fool," Aeros swore softly. It looked like Tolan had just charged in without thinking, and had wound up paying the price. Wishing he could do more, he closed the other man's eyes. Shaking his head, he looked back at the now open gate. "Isran, this better not just be a waste of my time," he muttered before stepping forward and descending further into the crypt.

As he descended, Aeros encountered several more vampires, as well as the odd skeleton or draugr. Fortunately, none of them were too difficult and he moved quickly through the caverns. Finally he reached another area blocked by a gate. Luckily, the lever was right next to it and the gate raised immediately once he pulled the lever. On the other side of the gate was a so called "master vampire," one that had lived far longer than most of its kind. Still, he was no match for the battle-hardened Dragonborn and was soon taken care of. Taking a moment to collect himself, Aeros pushed through the door in front of him. He emerged into a dimly lit room of sorts, mostly made up of part of the cave itself, but with some odd architecture he had never seen before. In front of him there was an archway leading out onto a balcony, flanked by two of the creepiest statues he had ever seen. The things looked like some kind of grotesque monster straight out of a nightmare. The way their eyes seemed to follow him put him on edge.

Aeros was just about to approach the balcony and look down when he heard voices below him. He drew back from the railing, making sure he couldn't be seen.

"I'll never tell you anything, vampire," he heard one voice say, a man. "My oath to Stendarr is stronger than any suffering you can inflict on me."

Another man spoke in a cold and cruel voice. "I believe you, Vigilant. And I don't think you even know what you've found here. So go and meet your beloved Stendarr." There was an audible snap and the sound of a body falling to the ground.

"Are you sure that was wise Lokil?" asked a woman's voice this time. "He still might have told us something. We haven't gotten anywhere ourselves with-"

The man, Lokil cut her off. "He knew nothing. He served his purpose by leading us to this place. Now it is up to us to bring Harkon the prize." Aeros could hear the voices moving further away. "And we will not return without it. Vingalmo and Orthjolf will make way for me after this."

Aeros carefully moved forward to look over the balcony. He could see the two vampires walking along a bridge towards some kind of structure in the center of the cavern. What purpose it served, he couldn't tell, although it resembled some sort of altar or site for a ritual.

"Yes, of course Lokil," the female vampire said in thinly veiled exasperation. "Don't forget who brought you news of the Vigilants' discovery."

"I never forget who my friends are," Aeros heard Lokil answer, before the vampire's voice became dangerously soft, to the point where Aeros could barely hear him. "Or my enemies."

Aeros made his way down towards where the vampires had been originally. There he found another Vigilant, lying on his back and with his neck twisted at an unnatural angle. Aeros looked towards the structure again. He could just make out one of the vampires, along with what looked like a thrall.

He raised his crossbow to his shoulder and took careful aim at the vampire. He pulled the trigger and the vampire dropped with a faint thud. With a faint smile, Aeros put the crossbow away and once again pulled out his twin dragonbone blades, Toor Strun Bah and Iiz Krah Dinok, their enchantments glowing brightly. He charged across the bridge towards where Lokil and the thrall were just turning around.

Before the thrall could even react, Aeros was on him, his swords slashing across the man's chest, moving so fast they seemed to almost leave white and red streaks in their wake. The thrall fell, a look of surprise still on his face.

Aeros whirled and crossed his swords over him, managing to block Lokil's attack from behind. The vampire looked stunned for a moment at the reflexes and reaction speed of this seemingly normal mortal but quickly collected himself. He pressed his attack, swinging his sword relentlessly. Aeros parried the attacks, realizing that this vampire wasn't quite the same as all the others.

"Who sent you?" Lokil demanded. Aeros didn't answer immediately, focusing on fending off the vampire's powerful blows. When he remained silent, the vampire sneered. "Was it Vingalmo? Orthjolf? Or are you one of those pathetic Vigilants, here to seek revenge?"

Aeros grinned slightly. "Nope. None of those. A man named Isran sent me." Lokil's face twisted in confusion. Seizing advantage of the vampire's momentary lapse in concentration, Aeros swung upwards in a counter, knocking Lokil's sword out of his hand. In one fluid movement, he plunged both swords through the vampire's chest.

Pulling his swords out, Aeros stepped over Lokil's body, walking towards the center of the strange structure. Looking around, it definitely looked like a temple of some sort, although it definitely wasn't Nord architecture like the rest of the crypt had been.

Reaching the center of the structure, Aeros noticed a small pillar of sorts in the middle, right around waist level, with lines or trenches of some sort running outwards from it, forming a pattern. On the top of the pillar was what looked like a large stone button. Curious, Aeros stepped forward and put his hand on the button. Maybe this was connected to whatever the vampires had been searching for.

All of a sudden, Aeros jerked in pain as a spike shot upwards from the pillar, stabbing through his hand. He almost collapsed but managed to pull himself back to his feet. His hand throbbed from the pain. As he stood back up, the spike retracted and the lines carved into the stone around him lit up with what almost looked like violet flames. The flames formed a ring around him and the pillar.

"Gods damned blood magic," he muttered, holding his wounded hand with the other. He used magic just as much as the next person; more so in fact, since he was the Arch-Mage of the College of Winterhold. But that didn't mean he appreciated having his hand impaled by a giant spike. He cast a minor healing spell to stop the bleeding and seal the wound as he moved closer to the purple flames to examine them. On closer inspection, he found that the "flames" gave off no heat and that he could pass right through them with no ill effects. They were little more than a light display.

But as he looked at the ring of magical fire again, he saw that a single line broke off from the circle and moved outwards. Following the line of flame, Aeros saw that there were even more lines carved into the stone. Five straight lines exited the center, where the pillar was. From there, these lines seemed to intersect two more circles. And, he noticed, there were what looked like braziers at various intersections of the circles. In fact, one of them lay in the middle of the path of the magical fire, which continued on as if nothing was in its way, until it reached the outer circle.

Looking more closely at the brazier, Aeros discovered that it could be pushed. Deciding that since he had already payed the "price," he would solve the puzzle and see what happened. He shoved the brazier to where the line of magic ended. As it settled into place, the brazier lit up with magical purple fire. A new trail of fire appeared, traveling from the now lit brazier to a new space.

Now that he knew what to do, Aeros began moving the remaining braziers, and each time he moved one to the correct spot and connected it with the trail of magical fire, the brazier would light up and a new line of purple flames would appear. As he pushed the last brazier into place, the entire structure shook. Grabbing one of the many arches built as part of whatever this thing was, Aeros steadied himself and tried to see what was going on.

To his shock, the center of the structure seemed to be opening up. As it did, a huge amount of magicka was released, shooting upwards into the air before dispersing; at the same time, the whole structure seemed to be sinking right under him, revealing more and more of the pillar.

At last, the shaking stopped and the structure stopped sinking. Standing up straight, Aeros approached the pillar in the center, which was now much larger than before, and looked to almost be some kind of stone monolith. Running his hands along its sides, Aeros found a small button and pressed it. He heard a small click, followed by something releasing, and the front of the stone monolith sunk down.

And inside, was a beautiful woman.

* * *

Author's Notes: So here's the second part of Tales of the Dragonborn. I actually had this written out ahead of time, but things came up and I wasn't able to upload it.

On a side note, Toor Strun Bah and Iiz Krah Dinok are the names of my first two dragonbone swords. Geeky, I know, but then again, I likely wouldn't be writing this if I wasn't.

Characters:

Lokil: The vampire in charge of Dimhollow Crypt. He has been searching the place for something that will grant him more power and influence in Harkon's court.

Dragon Language:

Toor Strun Bah = Inferno Wrath Storm (the name of one of Aeros's swords, enchanted with a powerful fire enchantment)

Iiz Krah Dinok = Ice Cold Death (the name of one of Aeros's swords, enchanted with a powerful frost enchantment)

Yol Toor Shul = Fire Inferno Sun (Fire Breath Shout)


	3. Road to the Dawn 3

Road to the Dawn 3

Aeros stared in shock. Out of everything that he might have thought to be inside the stone monolith, the last thing he would have expected to find was a woman. Was this woman what the vampires had been looking for? And if so, why?

Before he could move, the mysterious woman started to fall forward. He hurriedly stepped forward and caught her. She stirred weakly, groaning softly as she did. At last she regained consciousness, and pushed herself off of Aeros's shoulder. Aeros let her go carefully, wanting to make sure she didn't collapse again. When she was fully supporting herself, the woman slowly opened her eyes and fixed them on Aeros.

"Unh...where is...who sent you here?" the mysterious woman finally managed to ask, obviously still a little disoriented.

"A man named Isran," Aeros answered as he took in the beautiful appearance of this mysterious woman. The woman, whoever she was, looked to be somewhere in her twenties, with shoulder-length raven black hair, part of it in an intricate braid that wrapped around the back of her head. Her skin was a pale alabaster, which only made her full lips all the more noticeable, and had an appearance that would cause men to flock to her. She was also fairly tall, even for a Nord women, with Aeros only being a head taller than her.

She also wore an unusually outfit, designed in a style that Aeros was not familiar with. It was a black and red bodice, ending in a short skirt, although she wore cloth leggings underneath, and a pair of black leather boots. She also had on a short cape that came to rest just past her hips, held in place by an intricate, metal clasp. She wore a plain leather belt around her waist, with what looked like an elven dagger attached to it. The outfit suited her well, although the bodice had a window cut in the top that exposed a large amount of her cleavage, and Aeros had to try his best not to stare. Topping off her beautiful appearance were her eyes, although there was something off about them that Aeros couldn't quite put his finger on. They were a vivid reddish-gold color, and almost seemed to glow. "Who were you expecting?" he asked, forcing himself back to the topic at hand.

"I was expecting someone...like me, at least," the woman replied, evidently having finally gotten her bearings.

"Like you…" Aeros frowned. All of a sudden all the pieces came together. He looked back up at the woman. "Are you a…"

"Vampire, yes." the woman finished for him, crossing her arms and acting like it was unimportant, as if she had just told him the sky was blue.

Aeros involuntarily took a half step back, but caught himself and remained where he was. His frown deepened. "The Dawnguard would want me to kill you."

"Not fond of vampires are they?" the woman guessed, not seeming all that concerned about it. "Well, look. You kill me, you've killed one vampire. But if people are after me, there's something bigger going on. I can help you find out what that is."

Aeros realized she was right. "You have a point," he said, agreeing somewhat reluctantly. "Besides, I've had my fill of fighting for today." He shook his head in disbelief at what he was about to say. "All right, so where do you need to go?"

"My family used to live on an island to the west of Solitude. I'm guessing they still do." She seemed to remember something. "By the way...my name is Serana. Good to meet you."

"Good to meet you too, I guess." Aeros replied, unsure on how to act. "I'm Aeros."

It was at this point that Aeros noticed something slung across Serana's back. His mouth went dry. "Is that an Elder Scroll?" he asked in shock.

"Yes, it is. And it's mine," Serana said, folding her arms under her breasts. There was a note of warning in her voice.

Aeros raised his hands in concedence to show that he had no intention of taking the Scroll. But he couldn't help but ask, "Why in Oblivion do you have an Elder Scroll?" He had been forced to search for one himself, during his quest to defeat Alduin, which meant he was more than aware of how exceedingly rare they were.

"It's...complicated. I can't really talk about it. I'm sorry." Aeros nodded, accepting her answer and deciding not to press further about the Scroll. Still, he was curious about Serana herself.

"Why were you locked away in that sarcophagus?" he asked, nodding towards the monolith.

Again Serana seemed to hesitate. "I'd...rather not get into that with you," she said finally, "if that's alright." She hesitated but seemed to feel like she needed to explain herself, as she continued. "I'm sorry. It's not that...it's just that I don't know who I can trust just yet. Let's get to my home, and I'll have a better sense of where we all stand."

"It's alright, I understand," Aeros told her, not wanting to push her. "Let's get going then." As the two of them made their way towards the opposite side of the cavern, Aeros turned to her and asked one last question.

"By the way...how long were you in there?"

"Good question," Serana said slowly, trying to think. "It's hard to say. I...I can't really tell. I feel like it was a long time. Who is Skyrim's High King?"

Aeros chuckled dryly. "Well, until not too long ago, that was actually a matter of debate."

"Oh wonderful," Serana said dryly. "A war of succession. Good to know the world didn't get boring while I was gone. Who were the contenders?"

"Well, the Empire supported Elisif, the Jarl of Solitude, but there were, and still are, many in Skyrim loyal to Ulfric Stormcloak. Ultimately, the Empire won, and Elisif was voted High Queen by the Moot," Aeros replied, looking around for a way out as they walked across the bridge on the opposite side of the cavern from the one he had crossed earlier.

Serana frowned, a look of confusion on her face. "Empire? What...what empire?"

Aeros stopped and stared at her, not quite sure whether or not she was joking. "The...Empire. From Cyrodiil." He wondered if she was still addled from being in that sarcophagus for so long.

"Cyrodiil is the seat of an empire?" Serana said in surprise. "Wow, I must have been gone longer than I thought. Definitely longer than we planned. Please, let's hurry. I need to get home so I can figure out what's happened."

"Uh, right." Aeros agreed numbly. He was still trying to wrap his head around the idea that Serana had never heard of the Empire before. Just how long had she been in there?

As they stepped off the bridge, Aeros saw some stairs ahead, with more of those creepy statues at the top. Trying to shake off his feeling of unease, he stepped closer to the stairs. And as he did, the statues exploded.

Or rather, stone had gone flying as the "statues" suddenly decided to come to life, roaring at Serana and him as they attacked.

"What the hell?!" Aeros yelled as he rolled out of the way of the claws of one of the things.

"Gargoyles!" Serana yelled. Her hands lit up now with magicka. She raked one of the gargoyle with an arc of lightning, causing it to roar in pain. As it backed away from her, her other hand released the spell that had built up there, launching a large spike of ice that buried itself in the creature's head. The gargoyle gave a strangled shriek as it fell. It didn't stir.

Aeros meanwhile had managed to unsheath one of his swords and was now pushing the remaining gargoyle back under a flurry of blows. With a yell, he lunged forward and slashed at the thing's neck. The gargoyle stumbled backwards, clutching at its throat in a vain attempt to prevent the blood from flowing out. It soon collapsed to the ground giving one last feeble kick before it was still.

Aeros sheathed his sword before turning towards Serana. "What the hell were those?" he demanded.

"Gargoyles," she answered. "Magical constructs. They're great for guards, not moving from their station unless an intruder appears, at which point they'll burst of the stony shell that forms and attack."

"Great," Aeros muttered. "More monsters. And I can't even tell which of the statues are gargoyles…" He shook his head. "Alright, let's keep going."

The two of them finally managed to find a way out of the cavern, a passageway that led back into the crypt. After fighting through several draugr and skeletons, Aeros and Serana emerged in another large chamber. This one was brightly illuminated, a giant fire burning in the center. The place looked almost like an amphitheatre or arena to Aeros, with a large open area down in the middle, where the fire was currently burning. Across from them Aeros could see what looked like a throne, arranged so that whoever was sitting in it could get a clear view of whatever was happening in the open area.

"Something's not right here," Serana said from behind him. "Be careful. I think we may be in for some trouble." Almost as soon as she said that, a draugr stood up from the throne, as well as several other draugrs and skeletons around the amphitheatre.

Aeros pulled out one of his swords and readied a spell in his other hand. Behind him he could hear Serana doing the same, pulling her elven dagger from its sheath. Without any further thought, Aeros charged the nearest skeleton.

Parrying its blade, Aeros slipped inside the skeleton's guard while it was off balance. Swinging his blade, Aeros slashed across the skeleton's chest. He relaxed momentarily, expecting the skeleton to break apart and scatter like those he had previously fought. So when all that happened was the skeleton staggered back, he blinked in shock. The skeleton quickly recovered and swung its two-handed sword at him. Biting back an oath, Aeros threw himself to the side, the skeleton's sword throwing up sparks as it bounced off of the stone floor.

Pulling himself back to his feet, Aeros again had to roll out of the way to avoid having his head taken off. _All right, enough is enough_, he decided. Standing, he quickly spun his sword in a downward arc, putting all his strength behind the blow.

He could feel bone breaking as his sword tore through the skeleton's chest. The skeleton collapsed with a loud clatter of bones. Taking a moment to catch his breath, Aeros immediately charged back into the fray.

Several minutes later, Aeros and Serana stood panting near the burning pit in the center of the amphitheater, the bodies of the draugrs and skeletons littered around them.

"Is that...is that all of them?" Serana panted, sinking to the ground in exhaustion.

Aeros slowly straightened and looked around. "Yeah...yeah, I think so." He laughed ruefully. "If I'm this tired from fighting skeletons and draugrs, I've really gotten complacent. Come on," he said as he offered Serana his hand. She grabbed it and he helped pull her to her feet. "Let's get out of here."

As the two of them slowly made their way up the other side of the amphitheater, Aeros looked over at Serana. "So tell me about your home. What's it like?"

"It's on an island near Solitude," she replied. "Hopefully we can find a boat to take us there. It's my family home. Not the most welcoming place, but, depending on who's around, I'll be safe there." She sounded troubled.

"Someone you don't want to see?" Aeros asked. He really hoped he wasn't walking into some kind of vampire blood feud.

Serana was quiet for a while before answering. "My father and I don't really get along," she said, before making a sound of disgust. "Ugh, saying it out loud makes it sound so..._common_. 'Little girl who doesn't get along with her father.' Read that story a hundred times." Her voice took on a self-mocking tone.

They walked in silence for a couple minutes before Serana spoke up again. Her tone was noticeably brighter. "It'll be good to get outside and breathe again. I haven't missed the sunlight, but I do miss the fresh air."

"Well it looks like you're about to get your wish." Aeros said, nodding towards the growing light ahead of them.

The two of them stepped out of the cave into the bright light of day. Aeros shielded his eyes and waited for them to adjust after being in the cave for so long. Serana meanwhile, had pulled a hood over her head to keep the sun off of her.

"Ah, it's so good to breathe again!" Serana said appreciatively, breathing in deeply. "This weather is incredible."

She glanced over at Aeros. "Come on. My home is this way." She led the way as they headed in the direction that would take her home.

* * *

It took them several days to travel from Dimhollow Crypt to where Serana said her home was. It was disconcerting for Aeros at first to be travelling with a vampire, even one as charming and beautiful as Serana, especially whenever night fell and it came time to rest. Part of him was worried that she would try to feed on him while he slept or enthrall him. But despite his doubts, Serana was never anything but a charming and curious companion, and never once tried to drink his blood or turn him into a thrall. So after a few days of remaining slightly wary around her, Aeros finally mentally shrugged to himself, and decided to trust her. She was certainly entertaining company, constantly curious about the world around her and what had happened while she had been sealed away. During most of the day, and often at night when they sat around the campfire, she would question Aeros about a myriad of subjects. Aeros was more than willing to oblige her and answer her questions, as well as to regale her with stories of things such as the Oblivion Crisis or the Nerevarine. Serana would often listen raptly to these tales, and would inevitably have more questions when they were over.

They eventually found a pass through the mountain range near Solitude, and by the next day found themselves along the northern coast of Skyrim as the sun was beginning to set. Looking out across the water, Aeros could almost swear he could see a castle on an island in the distance, but he couldn't be sure with the fading light, even with the enhanced vision his beast blood granted him.

Serana answered his question for him before he even asked. "That's it, out to the north," she said, pointing at the castle. She looked around for a bit. "We used to keep a boat around here to get there and back. It should be around here somewhere."

It didn't take them long to find a jetty, with a small rowboat tied to it. The rowboat was old and slightly battered, but it didn't leak and it held their weight, which was enough for Aeros. Helping Serana into the boat, Aeros sat down and took the oars. Making sure Seraa was seated, he started rowing towards the distant island shrouded in mist.

Just when the muscles in his arms were starting to tire and cramp slightly, Aeros felt the boat bump up against the side of a dock. Climbing out and tying the boat to the dock so it didn't float away, Aeros straightened and looked at what lay before him.

The castle was a lot bigger than it had looked from a distance, which was saying a lot. Directly ahead of them was a giant stone bridge that led to the castle's entrance. Lining the bridge were more gargoyle statues. Aeros just hoped these ones decided to stay statues. Beyond the main structure of the castle, Aeros could see several towers, although one seemed to be partly collapsed.

"This is it." Serana said behind him as she climbed out of the boat. "Come on, let's get inside." She walked past him and started crossing the bridge. Aeros hurried to catch up. They walked along the bridge in silence, the only sounds being made were their shoes clicking on the stone bricks. Right before they approached the entrance though, which was blocked by a metal portcullis, Serana stopped suddenly. Aeros didn't immediately notice and walked forward a few more steps before he realized she wasn't next to him anymore. He turned around and found her looking at him with a pensive expression.

"Hey, so...before we go in…" she started to say before trailing off.

"What is it?" he asked. She seemed troubled by something, but he didn't know what.

"I wanted to thank you for getting me this far. But after we get in there, I'm going to go my own way for a while. I think…" Again she seemed troubled by something, but she shook it off and continued. "I know your friends would probably want to kill everything in here. I'm hoping you can show more control than that."

"Don't worry. I'll be on my best behavior," he said wryly.

Serana nodded in thanks. "Once we're inside, just keep quiet for a bit. Let me take the lead."

"All right," Aeros agreed. That seemed the best choice to him. This was after all, the castle of a bunch of vampires, and she knew a lot more about it than he did. Plus, this way he was less likely to have his neck bitten. He hoped.

The old guardsman on the other side of the portcullis finally noticed them as they approached the gate. He gave a start at the sight of Serana before yelling "Lady Serana's back! Open the gate!" The portcullis rose with a clatter, allowing them through. As they walked past the old guardsman, he turned his head to watch them.

"After all these years, Lady Serana's back…" Aeros heard him say quietly. He followed Serana through the doors.

Almost immediately though, Aeros found his way being blocked by a Altmer with glowing eyes. "How dare you trespass here!" the vampire snarled. He seemed ready to draw his sword, and the only thing stopping Aeros from doing the same was his promise to Serana. Before things could turn ugly though, the vampire stopped as he noticed the person next to Aeros.

"Wait...Serana?" he said in disbelief. "Is that really you? I cannot believe my eyes!" He hurried to a railing behind him. "My lord! Everyone!" he shouted. "Serana has returned!" Aeros heard the sound of cheering and clapping.

"I guess I'm expected." Serana said dryly. "Come on, let's see who's waiting for us." They followed the Altmer to the railing and descended the steps on the left-hand side. And as Aeros got a look at what awaited them, he felt his mouth go dry.

The room was a large dining hall, similar to those he had seen in the palaces of Whiterun, and Solitude, and Windhelm. There was just one difference. Filling every seat at the tables were vampires. Looking around, Aeros realized there were multiple other vampires and thralls in various areas of the room and in adjacent rooms. There were also at least half a dozen death hounds roaming around the tables, fighting over bloody bones and chunks of meat.

As they walked past several tables, Aeros shivered. What was lying on the tables was not platters of food and drink, but people. As he watched, a vampire sat down near one, a Breton, and sunk his fangs into the man's neck. The man didn't even react, he just continued to stare blankly at the ceiling.

_Serana wants me to behave?_ he thought bleakly. _Well she definitely doesn't have to worry about me attacking anyone now. It's suicide!_

A man stood awaiting them. As they approached, he spread his arms. "My long lost daughter returns at last," he said, his voice rich and commanding. There was an air of power about him. "I trust you have my Elder Scroll?"

Aeros couldn't help but stare. _This is Serana's father?_ he thought in disbelief. _He welcomes her back and then immediately wants the Elder Scroll? No wonder Serana ran away!_

Serana felt the same way it seemed. "After all these years, that's the first thing you ask me?" she asked in disgust. "Yes, I have the Scroll." Aeros heard mutters and whispers at that.

"She has the Scroll!"

"The Elder Scroll!"

"At last!"

Serana's father shook his head. "Of course I'm delighted to see you, my daughter," he said. "Must I really say the words aloud?" He paused before smiling slightly, a cold and thin smile that didn't quite reach his eyes. "Ah, if only your traitor mother were here, I would let her watch this reunion before putting her head on a spike."

"Now tell me, who is this stranger you have brought into our hall?" Aeros didn't like the predatory look in his eyes, as if Harkon were a hawk and Aeros the mouse.

Serana smiled slightly at Aeros before returning her gaze to her father. "This is my savior, the one who freed me," she told her father.

"Oh really?" For some reason, this seemed to amuse Harkon. He turned his gaze on Aeros. "For my daughter's safe return, you have my gratitude. Tell me, what is your name?"

As Harkon turned his full gaze on him, Aeros had to force himself not to take a step back from the raw power he could feel rolling off of Harkon. _Stop that!_ he thought angrily to himself. _You've saved the world twice and defeated Alduin! There's no reason to be afraid of this guy!_

"My name is Aeros," he answered curtly. "Who are you?"

"I am Harkon, lord of this court," the man said arrogantly. "By now my daughter will have told you what we are." It wasn't a question.

"You're vampires." Aeros answered bluntly. There was no point in being delicate about the matter.

"Not just vampires," Harkon said, seeming almost offended by the notion. "We are among the oldest and most powerful vampires in Skyrim. For centuries we lived here, far from the cares of the world. All of that ended when my wife betrayed me and stole away that which I valued most."

Aeros couldn't help but think that Harkon wasn't talking about Serana. Serana seemed to realize it too, as her mouth tightened, but she remained quiet, watching the exchange between Aeros and Harkon intently.

"What happens now?" Aeros asked after a few moments of uncomfortable silence. He hoped it was that he would be allowed to leave here alive.

Harkon regarded him thoughtfully. "You have done me a great service," he said at last. "And now you must be rewarded. There is but one gift I can give that is equal to the Elder Scroll and my daughter."

"I offer you my blood. Take it, and you will walk as a lion among sheep. Men will tremble at your approach, and you will never fear death again."

Aeros didn't know what Harkon meant by offering "his blood," but he understood the true nature of the offer. If he accepted Harkon's offer, he would be turned into a vampire. _Not exactly the most appealing prospect_, he thought to himself. _Serana's not all that bad,_ a small voice whispered in his head. _Would it be so bad to stay here and get to know her better?_ He squashed that voice, banishing it from his mind.

"I'm a werewolf. What will happen if I accept your gift?"

"Yes, I could smell it on you," Harkon said, his voice a mixture of disgust and contempt. "The power of my blood will purge that _filth _and make you whole again."

"And if I want to remain a werewolf and refuse your gift?" Aeros asked cautiously. This could very easily go downhill very fast.

"Then I will banish you from this castle. I will spare your life this once as thanks for returning my daughter and the Elder Scroll to me, but after that you are prey like all mortals. But perhaps you still need convincing? Behold the power!"

A blood-red mist began rising from Harkon's body. Despite himself, Aeros took a step back. The power he had felt emanating from Harkon had just increased tenfold. The red mist covered Harkon, pooling around him, before he suddenly seemed to explode, and a monster stood in his place.

Standing at least two feet taller than Harkon had been, the thing looked like something out of a nightmare even worse than the one that had given birth to gargoyles, with grey skin drawn tight over its muscles and long, sharp claws stretching from its fingers. A pair of batlike wings grew out of its back and Aeros could see a large pair of fangs in its mouth. A crown of sorts sat upon its head and a blood-red cape hung from its back.

"This is the power that I offer!" Harkon's voice boomed from the mouth of the creature. "Now, make your choice!"

Aeros hoped this wasn't going to get him killed. "I do not want to become a vampire," he said firmly. "I refuse your gift."

Serana was shocked at Aeros's decision. She had thought that he would be seduced by the promise of such power, like so many had been before him. Hearing him refuse her father's offer, even when seeing that power before his very eyes was brave, especially when he knew he risked being killed for such a decision, and she felt her respect for him grow.

"So be it!" the monstrous Harkon said. He floated into the air and one of his hands started glowing with some sort of spell. "Then you are prey, like all mortals. I banish you!" His hand shot out towards Aeros, releasing the spell. Before Aeros could react and cast a ward, the spell hit him square in the chest.

Everything began to fade, and then turned black.

* * *

Author's Notes: And here's chapter three of Road to the Dawn. This one went a lot faster than I expected, probably since I already typed up most of it while I was working on chapter two.

Edit: One thing that I've failed to mention, and that I've made an effort to include in my rewrites of these chapters, is that Skyrim is a big place, much larger than what we see depicted in the game. Many of the major cities such as Whiterun or Solitude are bustling and sprawling places with many more inhabitants than the ones we know, and a trip that only took twelve hours in game might actually take several days. It's something that I will make a point of trying to mention and expand upon in the future.

Characters:

Serana: An attractive female vampire you rescue from Dimhollow Crypt, she is the daughter of Lord Harkon. She is quite popular amongst the fanbase, and has a complicated and in-depth character. Unfortunately, despite her obvious attraction to the Dragonborn, you are never able to marry her in the vanilla game.

Harkon: Lord of Skyrim's Volkihar vampires, and a devout follower of Molag Bal. An evil, power-hungry individual, Harkon is willing to do whatever it takes to complete his Tyranny of the Sun. He is also quite possibly the worst excuse for a father in the history of Tamriel, willing to even sacrifice his own daughter if it helped him attain his goal.

Alduin: The World Eater. Nordic God of Destruction. The ender of Kalpas and the End of Time incarnate. Alduin is a large and powerful black dragon, and the primary antagonist of Skyrim. Banished in the Merethic Era by the Tongues, Alduin returns in the Fourth Era, just in time to (ironically) save your life. Having forsaken his role as the World Eater, Alduin instead seeks to dominate the mortals and bring back the age of the dragons. The Dragonborn finally put an end to him in Sovngarde, although he may still return at the end of time to fulfill his role as the World Eater. Not a very nice dragon overall.

Dragon Language: None used.


	4. Road to the Dawn 4

Road to the Dawn 4

Aeros staggered as awareness returned, barely managing to catch himself on something. All he could do was hold on, and try not to fall on his face as he waited for his senses to fully return. Hearing was the first to return, but all Aeros could hear was the wind howling and the sound of waves. Not long after, his vision started to return, although everything was blurry and indistinct.

Finally, Aeros could see clearly and was able to stand up straight without staggering like a drunken giant. Looking around, Aeros found he was outside of Castle Volkihar again, facing the pier.

"Gods damn it!" Aeros swore. It was things like this that sometimes made it easier for him to understand why other Nords had such a dislike for magic. The vampires could have just asked him to leave, but noooo, instead they had to forcefully teleport him. Still, at least he was still on Nirn, and not some obscure plane of Oblivion.

But what was done was done, and Aeros had found out what, or rather who, had been hidden inside Dimhollow Crypt. And Serana was back with her family, if you could even call it that. Aeros glanced back at Castle Volkihar. Despite himself, he hoped Serana would be all right there. She had been surprisingly pleasant company and hadn't tried to bite his neck even once, unlike most vampires he had met. And that court had just seemed...cold.

Still, his job was done, and Isran would most definitely want to hear about what had occurred. This was a lot bigger than either of them had thought, and Aeros had a bad feeling that it was about to get a lot worse.

Climbing back in the boat, Aeros began rowing back to the mainland

Little did he know that back inside the castle, surrounded by Harkon's court as they celebrated the return of the Elder Scroll, someone else was also thinking about him, wishing they could go with him.

* * *

\- Dayspring Canyon -

The trip back was shorter this time than the trip there, now that he knew where the pass was, but it still took Aeros over a week to return to Fort Dawnguard, arriving back at the hidden canyon just as the sun was beginning to rise. Where he immediately found himself in the middle of an ambush.

"Die, pathetic mortal!" he heard someone yell ahead of him, followed by the sound of weapons clashing. Sprinting the last couple yards up the path, Aeros rounded the corner to see the Dawnguard locked in combat with a group of vampires. Brandishing his swords, Aeros charged forward.

"FUS RO DAH!" he shouted, sending several vampires tumbling head over heels. As the few still standing turned to face him, he crashed into the middle of them, his swords twin forces of destruction.

"For the Dawnguard!" he thought he heard someone yell, right before a warhammer smashed into the face of the vampire in front of him. He nodded in thanks to Isran, before they both leapt back into combat.

A few minutes later, Aeros and the members of the Dawnguard stood surrounded by corpses, drenched in sweat. Wiping his blades on the clothes of a dead vampire, Aeros straightened. Isran stood nearby, shaking his head in disgust. Turning, he began walking back towards the fort. Aeros followed him.

"Look at this," he said as Aeros walked alongside him. "I should've known it was only a matter of time before they found us. It's the price we pay for openly recruiting. We'll have to step up our defenses." He glanced at Aeros. "I don't suppose you have some good news for me?"

"Not exactly," Aeros answered, grimacing as he remembered why he had come back.

"Damn. Well what do you know?" Isran asked as they walked through the great doors and entered Fort Dawnguard proper. Aeros noticed that the fort looked much cleaner and more organized than it had when he had last been there, more than a fortnight ago. Most of the supplies and crates had been moved to other parts of the fortress, and the majority of cobwebs and dust had been cleared away.

"The vampires were looking for a woman trapped in Dimhollow."

"A woman? Trapped in there?" Isran said in disbelief. "That doesn't make any sense. Who is she? More importantly, _where _is she?

"She wanted to go home, so I took her to her castle." Aeros told him.

"I'm waiting to hear what any of this means." Isran growled impatiently. "So you took a girl home, so what? What does that have to do with these damn vampires?"

Aeros sighed, but answered anyways. "She's the daughter of the lord of Skyrim's Volkihar vampires. And they also have an Elder Scroll."

"They what?" Isran said in shock. "And you didn't stop them? You didn't secure the Scroll?"

Aeros didn't like the accusatory tone in Isran's voice. "What did you want me to do?" he snapped. "Take on every single vampire there and try to take the Scroll back? There were too many of them, and only one of me. Not very good odds, even for the Dragonborn. Getting myself killed would have accomplished nothing! At least this way we know what we're up against."

Isran ignored Aeros' outburst, which only rankled him further. "So they have everything they want, and we're left with nothing. By the Divines, this couldn't get much worse. This is more than you and I can handle."

"So you're just going to give up?" Aeros asked in disbelief.

Isran snorted. "When did I say that? We just need…" the man sighed, as if it pained him to say what followed next. "We need help."

He looked back up at Aeros. "If they're bold enough to attack us here, then this may be bigger than I thought. I have good men here, but…" he shook his head. "There are people I've worked with over the years. We need their skills, their talents, if we're going to survive this. If you can find them, we might have a chance."

"Who do we need, and where can I find them?" Aeros asked. If the Dawnguard was going to fight, then he would help them however he could.

"Right to the point, aren't you?" Isran said, amused slightly. "I like that. Not like those fools in the order. We should keep it small. Too many people and we'll draw unwanted attention to ourselves." Aeros couldn't help but nod in agreement to that. The last thing the Dawnguard needed was to draw the attention of the Jarls, as well as even more vampires.

"I think we'll want Sorine Jurard." Isran told him. "Breton girl, whip-smart and good with tinkering. Fascination with the Dwemer. Weapons in particular. Last I knew, she was out in the Reach, convinced she was about to find the biggest dwarven ruins yet."

Aeros couldn't help but wince. He hoped he wouldn't have to go into any dwarven ruins to find this Sorine. Gods, but he hated those ruins. "She'll help us?" he asked instead.

"Might need a little convincing, but she should. You'll also want to find Gunmar. Big brute of a Nord, hates vampires almost as much as I do. Got it into his head years back that his experience with animals would help. Trolls in particular, from what I hear. Last I knew he was out scouting Skyrim for more beasts to tame. Bring the two of them back here, and we can get started on coming up with a plan."

"In the meantime, Celann, Durak, and I will continue to train the recruits. They did well in the ambush, and know how to deal with being infected, but if they go up against a group larger than this one or some of the older vampires, they'll be slaughtered like livestock."

"All right, Sorine and Gunmar," Aeros said, memorizing their names. "Got it." He turned to leave. "I'll ask around, but it shouldn't be too hard to find them."

"Before you go, Aeros," Isran began, but seemed to stop himself.

"What is it?"

"Did you see any sign of Tolan at Dimhollow?" Isran asked.

"Yes," Aeros answered slowly. Did Isran actually care about what had happened to Tolan? "I found him, but he was already dead. It looked like he had just charged in. He managed to kill two of them though."

Isran nodded, as if he had expected to hear something of the kind. "Damn fool," he said gruffly. "I told him he wasn't up for this kind of thing, especially not with his mind clouded with grief and anger. At least he took some of the bastards with him."

Aeros nodded, not sure what to say, before opening the doors and leaving.

* * *

\- The Rift -

Gunmar, it turned out, wasn't that hard to find. Figuring that if the man was a huntsman, he would try to avoid the larger cities, especially one as corrupt as Riften, Aeros headed to the next nearest settlement, Ivarstead. Asking a few questions, he found out that a man matching Isran's description of Gunmar had passed through town not too long ago. According to the locals, he had taken a job to kill a bear that had been causing problems for the past couple weeks. After a few more questions, Aeros learned that the last anyone had seen of the man, he had been heading south towards Honeystrand Cave. Tossing a coin to the bartender in thanks, Aeros stood and left to find Gunmar.

Finding Honeystrand Cave was easy. It was right where the bartender had marked on his map, a half hour's trip from Ivarstead. As he approached the cave entrance, a man's voice called out.

"You there, hold fast!" Aeros turned to see a large Nord hurrying towards him. The man stopped in front of him. "My name is Gunmar. I've tracked this damned bear for two weeks; I'll not let it have any more victims."

"Don't worry." Aeros chuckled, indicating the well-used appearance of his armor and weapons. "I can handle myself. But more importantly, I'm glad I found you. I've been looking for you."

"You've been looking for me?" Gunmar asked, confused, and slightly wary of this well-armed stranger who claimed he had been looking for him. "What for?"

Aeros noticed the wary look in Gunmar's eyes, and how his hand drifted towards his axe. He couldn't blame him for such a reaction, especially if he had as much experience with vampires as Isran said he did. Vampires were well known for trying to trick their victims into lowering their guard, and occasionally even used a thrall so as not to give themselves away if spotted by a more alert individual.

Deciding to get to the point quickly to avoid having either of them doing something they might regret, Aeros answered bluntly, "Isran needs your help."

"Isran? Needing someone's help?" Gunmar asked in disbelief. "Never thought I'd hear that." But he shook his head. "But he's a few years too late. I've moved on. I have more important business to attend to. Besides, he can handle anything alone! He assured me so himself. What could he possibly need my help with?"

"We're up against vampires." Aeros answered. "A lot of vampires."

"Vampires?" Gunmar said consideringly. "That...well, that might change things. I have noticed a change in their behavior recently, becoming more aggressive, venturing into towns and outright attacking civilians. Tell me more about what's going on."

"We're not sure," Aeros said truthfully. "All we know is that they have an Elder Scroll."

"By the Eight…" Gunmar breathed in shock. He shook his head. "All right, look. I'll consider it, but I can't just leave this bear to prey on more innocent people. Once it's dealt with, then perhaps I'll see what Isran expects of me."

"I'll help you then," Aeros told him. "Two hunters are better than one." If killing a bear helped convince Gunmar to help them, then so be it.

Gunmar nodded. "This way then. And be careful. The beast has already killed more than once."

The two of them entered the cave cautiously, weapons drawn and at the ready. But there was no sign of the bear. Right as Aeros turned to Gunmar to say so, there was a roar as he was bowled over by something, his swords skittering away from him across the cave floor.

Trying to keep the bear's jaws away from his throat, Aeros turned his head trying to find Gunmar, and found him fending off two more bears. Knowing he wasn't going to be getting any help, and still trying to keep the bear from ripping him apart limb from limb, Aeros gathered magicka in his hands, forming a fireball that grew larger and larger, before slamming them against the bear's chest. The fireball exploded, propelling the thing several feet into the air and setting it alight. The bear hit the ground with a dull thud and didn't move.

Rolling to his feet, Aeros looked around for Gunmar again. The other Nord had wounded both of the other two bears but was now struggling to hold them off. Grabbing his swords from the ground, Aeros rushed over to help, and it wasn't long before all three bears lay dead at their feet.

"Don't know how well I'd have managed by myself," Gunmar admitted as Aeros helped him back to his feet. "I was expecting only a single bear, not an entire den of them. You have my thanks. You helped me, so I suppose the least I can do is find out what Isran wants. He's still at that fort near Stendarr's Beacon, I assume?"

"Yeah, he said to meet him at Fort Dawnguard."

Gunmar snorted in amusement. "Of course he did. He's been working on that place for years now. Never lets anyone in. His own little fortress. Well, I guess I'll see what he's been up to all this time. I'll meet you there."

Aeros nodded, and Gunmar left the cave. Now he just had to find Sorine. _Hopefully _she wasn't in a bunch of Dwemer ruins.

* * *

\- The Reach -

Luckily for Aeros, Sorine was above ground this time. He found her not far from Markarth, near some kind of dwarven shrine or something. He could never tell with Dwemer things.

"Just one gyro, one, and I can get back to work." he heard her mutter to herself as he approached. She turned at the sound of his approach. "You haven't seen a sack full of dwarven gyros lying around, have you? I'd swear I left it right here."

"Do you think mudcrabs might've taken it?" she continued before he could answer. "I saw one the other day...wouldn't surprise me if it followed me here."

"Uh, no. Sorry, but I haven't seen any gyros lying around," Aeros said, thrown off slightly. "Look, Isran sent me to find you." he said in an attempt to get things back on track.

"Isran?" Sorine said in disbelief. "Wants me? No, you must be mistaken. He made it exceedingly clear the last time we spoke that he had no interest in my help. I find it hard to believe that he's changed his mind. He said some very hurtful things to me before I left. Anyway, I'm quite happy with my current pursuits. So if you'll excuse me…" she began to turn away.

"Wait!" Aeros practically shouted as she turned away. "Just listen okay? Vampires are threatening all of Skyrim. We need your help." Honestly, was there anyone who Isran didn't manage to piss off? It really made Aeros's job a lot more difficult.

"Vampires? Really?" Sorine asked, interested again. "Oh, and I suppose now he remembers that I proposed no less than three different scenarios that involved vampires overrunning the population. Well, what are they up to?"

"They have an Elder Scroll," Aeros said simply.

Sorine actually seemed shocked, which surprised him. "I...Well, that's actually something I never would have anticipated. Interesting. I'm not sure what they would do with one, but in this case Isran is probably correct in thinking it isn't good."

"So you'll help?"

"I guess so. If nothing else, I suppose it wouldn't hurt to learn more of what's going on so I can better defend myself. But I'm not just going to abandon what I've been working on here. It's too useful. I need at least one intact dwarven gyro. So either I need to find the satchel those mudcrabs stole, or I need another one from someplace. You wouldn't happen to have one, would you?"

"No, I don't," Aeros said with a shake of his head. "But I'll help you look for yours." The two of them spent the next several minutes searching all around for her satchel before Aeros finally found it down on the riverbank. He tossed it to Sorine. "Here, catch."

She caught it easily. Digging around inside, she pulled out a gyro. "Thanks. It's not much, but this will help a great deal with some of the things I've been researching. Now, where is it Isran expects me to go?"

"We're meeting at Fort Dawnguard."

"Ah, been working more on his secret hideout, has he?" Sorine said knowingly. "It'll be interesting to see how much progress he's made." Fishing around inside the satchel again, she pulled out another gyro. "I'll finish up here and head in that direction soon as I can. See you there."

Aeros said goodbye and left Sorine to her research, where she was already muttering something about "calibrating the tonal resonance." It was time to get back to Fort Dawnguard.

* * *

\- Fort Dawnguard -

Aeros met Gunmar and Sorine at the gate. He had arrived about half an hour ago, but had decided to wait for Gunmar and Sorine before he entered the fort. He had to admit he had been surprised at how quickly things had changed while he had been gone. He had left not even a week and a half ago to look for Sorine and Gunmar, but by the time he had returned, they had already erected a wooden palisade and gate, with guard platforms on either side of the gate, and he could see more fortifications being built.

"Sorine, Gunmar, I'm glad you decided to show up," he said as he greeted them. "I've seen what we're up against and honestly, we can use all the help we can get."

"Is it that bad?" Sorine asked.

"I think so," Aeros told her. "Come on, I'm told Isran's waiting for us inside." They started walking up the path towards the fort. As they walked by several other Dawnguard members, Aeros swore they were looking at him queerly. But why?

As they entered the fort, Aeros could hear some kind of noise, like gears and chains clanking, but he couldn't figure out what was causing it. He walked into the center of the room with Sorine and Gunmar. Isran stood at the railing on the floor above them.

"All right Isran, you've got us all here. Now what do you want?" Gunmar asked, looking up at the Redguard.

"Hold it right there," Isran barked out in reply. All around them, gates rose up from openings in the floor, blocking them off from the rest of the fort as a giant beam of sunlight fell down on them.

"What are you doing?" Sorine asked, shielding her eyes.

"Making sure you're not vampires," Isran told her. "Can't be too careful." He motioned to someone out of sight and the gates lowered, while at the same time the bright light faded. "So, welcome to Fort Dawnguard. I'm sure you've heard a bit of what we're up against. Powerful vampires, unlike anything we've seen before. And they have an Elder Scroll. If anyone is going to stand in their way, it's going to be us."

"This is all well and good," Sorine spoke up, "but do we actually know anything about what they're doing? What do we do now?"

"We'll get to that." Isran said. "For now, get acquainted with the space. Sorine, you'll find room to start tinkering with that crossbow design you've been working on. Gunmar, there's an area large enough for you to pen up some trolls, get them armored up and ready to use."

The other two began walking away, to learn their way around the fort, and get working. Aeros made as if to follow, but Isran's voice stopped him.

"In the meantime, we're going to get to the bottom of why a vampire showed up here looking for you, Dragonborn."

* * *

Author's Notes: Part four of Road to the Dawn! Just in case anyone's wondering, this arc is only going to include the main quests from the Dawnguard questline with the exception of the quest to recruit Florentius, because let's face it, who doesn't love Arkay's best friend?

Characters:

Gunmar: A big Nord with some skill in smithing, Gunmar came up with the idea of using trolls to fight vampires.

Sorine Jurard: Breton woman obsessed with all things Dwemer, especially weaponry. When you first meet her, she's convinced mudcrabs stole her gyros. Despite her slightly eccentric personality, Sorine is incredibly intelligent and inventive, proving to be a great boon to the Dawnguard.

Dragon Language:

Fus Ro Dah = Force Balance Push (Unrelenting Force Shout)


	5. Road to the Dawn 5

Road to the Dawn 5

"In the meantime, we're going to get to the bottom of why a vampire showed up here looking for you, Dragonborn." Aeros froze at Isran's words. A vampire here? Looking for him? What was going on?

"Let's go have a little chat with it, shall we?" Isran said, turning away from the railing. Aeros hurried up the stairs to where Isran was waiting for him.

"This way," was all the man said, before turning and walking deeper into the fort. Aeros had no choice but to follow him.

The two of them entered what could only be an interrogation room, where Isran no doubt interrogated any vampires taken alive, as unlikely as that possibility was. But Aeros noted all of that absently. His attention was more focused on the other person in the room.

"Serana?" he exclaimed in shock. He quickly looked her over, and was relieved to see that she was unharmed.

"This vampire showed up while you were away." Isran said by way of explanation. "I'm guessing it's the one you found in Dimhollow Crypt. Says it's got something really important to say to you." He turned his attention to Serana, glaring. "So let's hear it."

Serana ignored Isran and gave Aeros a small smile. "You probably weren't expecting to see me again," she said.

Aeros couldn't help but laugh at that. "To be honest, no. What are you doing here?"

"I'd rather not be here either, but I needed to talk to you. It's important, so please just listen before your friend here loses his patience. It's...well, it's about me. And the Elder Scroll that was buried with me."

"What about you?" Aeros asked curiously. If she came all this way just to talk to him, it had to be important.

Serana was stunned. Here she was with an Elder Scroll on her back, and he seemed more concerned about her? Just who was this man?

She forced her mind back to the conversation at hand.

"The reason I was down there...and why I had the Elder Scroll." She seemed to pause and take a deep breath. "It all comes back to my father. I'm guessing you figured this part out already, but my father's not exactly a good person, even by vampire standards."

"I noticed," Aeros said dryly.

"He wasn't always like that though," she continued. "There was...a turn. He stumbled onto this obscure prophecy and just kind of lost himself in it."

"What sort of prophecy?" Aeros asked. In his experience, prophecies were rarely a good thing.

"It's pointless and vague, like all prophecies. But the part that he latched onto said that vampires would no longer need to fear the sun. That's what he's after. He wants to control the sun, have vampires control the world."

"Control the sun?" Aeros said in disbelief. Serana nodded before continuing.

"Anyway, my mother and I didn't feel like inviting a war with all of Tamriel, so we tried to stop him. That's why I was sealed away with the Scroll."

Aeros was quiet for a few moments, trying to digest all of this. "You took a big risk coming here to tell me this," he said finally. To actually walk into a fort full of vampire hunters willingly… She had guts, he'd give her that. He didn't think he could ever do the same with the Silver Hand, at least not peacefully.

"I did," Serana agreed. "But something about you makes me think I can trust you. I hope I'm not wrong."

"Don't worry, you're not," Aeros promised her. "But we'll have to convince the others you're on our side first."

"Well, let's move then," Serana said confidently. "I'm nothing if not persuasive."

"All right, you've heard what it has to say." Isran broke in. Aeros had been so surprised by Serana's presence that he had actually forgotten the man was there. "Now tell me, is there any reason I shouldn't kill this bloodsucking fiend right now?"

"Besides the fact that I won't let you?" Aeros said calmly. "Because we're going to help her."

"Why, because of that story about the prophecy? About some vampire trying to put the sun out? Do you actually believe any of that?" Isran growled.

"Yes, I do." Aeros said bluntly. "I've had experience with prophecies like this, and she has no reason to lie to us. So just set your hatred aside for a moment, and try to see the bigger picture, Isran."

"Set my hatred aside?" Isran scoffed. "Not a chance. It's what keeps me strong."

"You don't trust her, fine," Aeros growled in frustration. "Trust me then. I believe her. She risked her life just coming here, and I'm not going to ignore what she has to say just because she's a vampire. Especially not if it's concerning someone trying to conquer all of Tamriel."

"You'd better know what you're doing," Isran said warningly. "It can stay for now, but if it so much as lays a finger on anyone here, I'll hold you responsible. Got it?"

He turned to Serana. "You hear me? Don't you go feeling like a guest, because you're not. You're a resource. An asset. In the meantime, don't make me regret my sudden outburst of tolerance and generosity, because if you do, your friend here is going to pay for it."

"Thank you so much for your kindness," Serana said sarcastically. "I'll remember it the next time I'm feeling hungry."

Isran growled in disgust, but Serana ignored him. She turned back to Aeros. "Thanks for standing up for me," she said warmly.

"Don't worry about it," Aeros replied. "I wasn't about to let him try and kill you, especially not after you came all this way just to find me."

She gave him a brief smile. "So in case you didn't notice the giant thing on my back, I have the Elder Scroll with me. Whatever it says, it'll have something that can help us stop my father. But of course, neither of us can read it."

"Any idea who can?" Aeros asked.

"Well, the Moth Priests are the only ones I've heard of who can do it. They spend years preparing before they start reading though. Not that it helps us anyway, because they're half a continent away in Cyrodiil."

"Great," Aeros groaned. "So we have no one who can read the Scroll, not unless we want to travel all the way to the Imperial City."

Isran spoke up then. "Maybe not. Some Imperial scholar arrived in Skyrim a few days ago. I was staking out the road and saw him pass by. Maybe that's your Moth Priest."

"Then that's our best bet. Do you know where he's staying now?" Serana asked. Isran shook his head.

"No, and I'm not going to waste men looking. We're fighting a war against your kind and I intend to win it. You want to find him, try talking to someone who'd meet a traveler. Innkeepers and carriage drivers in the big cities maybe. But you're on your own." And with that, Isran stalked out of the room, leaving the two of them alone.

"So any idea how you're going to find a Moth Priest?" Serana asked Aeros after Isran had left. "Skyrim's a pretty big place."

"I'm not really sure exactly," Aeros admitted. "I don't know very much about them besides that they live in the Imperial City and are able to read the Elder Scrolls. Do you have any ideas?"

Serana looked thoughtful. "Well, back before I...you know. The College of Winterhold was the first place I'd think to go for any kind of magical or historical thing. The mages there know about all kind of things that people probably shouldn't know about. Actually, now that I think about it...I'm going to come along with you, if that's all right. I've been really wanting to get out and explore a bit, and that's bound to be better than sitting around in a fort full of vampire hunters who all want to slit my throat."

"The College, huh? Well, if the Moth Priest has been there, then it won't be too hard to find out. But if you really want to come with me, then I'd be glad to have you," Aeros told her with a smile.

Serana smiled back, all the worry and tension in her face dissipating for one brief moment, revealing the kind and caring soul beneath. It was there for just a split second, before it disappeared, so brief that Aeros almost thought he might have imagined it.

"We better get moving then," she said. "It's a long way from here to Winterhold."

"Are you sure you don't want to wait until nightfall?" Aeros questioned. "I don't have a problem with it, and I'm sure it would be easier on you."

Serana shook her head. "I'll be fine. I can deal with a little sunlight. Besides, I'd hate to give your friends here even more reasons to try and kill me."

Aeros fought to hide a grin. He knew she was right of course; most of the Dawnguard would be furious if they knew a vampire was being allowed to walk through their halls. Even so, he had a feeling that if they were tried anything, they were the ones that would be in trouble, not Serana.

But she had a point. It would be better to leave now before any of the Dawnguard tried anything. He nodded. "After you, then, milady," he said with an exaggerated bow. Fighting to hide a smile, Serana graciously accepted his offer. Together, the two of them descended the stairs.

* * *

\- Winterhold -

After leaving Fort Dawnguard, Riften was their first stop, so that Aeros could purchase a horse. He would have bought two, but when Serana admitted that she had not ridden a horse since she was little, and that had been a pony, he decided it would probably be easier to only buy the one horse and ride double. So in the end, he bought a single horse, a placid bay-colored mare. Helping Serana into the saddle behind him, he set off down the north road. They travelled at a much faster pace by horse than when Aeros had been escorting Serana home on foot, and they reached Winterhold only a few days later. The air was cool, but fortunately, even this far north summer still held some sway, so it was not as cold as it was during the later half of the they travelled further north, the land progressively got cooler.

Tying up their horse at the inn, Aeros helped Serana down, and led the way towards the College of Winterhold. As they walked through what was left of the town, Serana gazed around in shock.

"Something wrong?" Aeros asked her, noticing her staring about wide-eyed.

"Not really," Serana said. "It's just...when I was last here, it wasn't so...crumbly. This used to be a city."

"I've heard that this place used to rival Solitude in terms of power and influence in Skyrim." Aeros said, looking around sadly. "About eighty years ago though, a series of massive, never-ending storms engulfed the hold, and the ground beneath most of the city collapsed and slid into the Sea of Ghosts. The College believes that it was a result of the eruption of Red Mountain, but unfortunately, because of the fact that the College escaped the disaster almost completely unharmed due to its ancient wards, most of the locals believe the Great Collapse was the result of College mages experimenting with things they shouldn't. Which has only made most Nords' suspicion of magic worse after the fallout of the Oblivion Crisis and the Great War."

"Great War?" Serana questioned. She remembered Aeros telling her about the Oblivion Crisis, and two heroes who stopped it, Martin Septim and the mysterious Hero of Kvatch, but she didn't remember him ever mentioning something called the Great War.

"I'll tell you later," Aeros promised. "For now, just be wary of anyone calling themselves the Thalmor."

As Aeros and Serana talked, they crossed the great stone bridge connecting the College and Winterhold, entering the College grounds. A few mages nodded respectfully, murmuring greetings to their Arch-Mage. Aeros returned their greetings but kept walking. Leading the way, Aeros entered the Arcanaeum. A number of mages and students were scattered around the great library, either studying or researching something for their latest experiment. Unfortunately, there was no sign of Urag gro-Shub, the librarian.

Sending a mage to go find the orc, Aeros settled down in a chair to wait. Serana sat down across from him. The two of them sat in silence for a while, until Aeros asked a question that he had been thinking about for some time.

"So, uh…have you always…" he trailed off, not quite sure how to ask this.

"Have I what?" Serana asked. "Say what it is you want, I promise I won't bite." She smiled mischievously. "This time."

"Have you...always been a vampire?" Aeros finally managed to ask.

Serana blinked, then shrugged uncomfortably. "That's...a long story."

"I'd like to hear it."

She sighed. "I guess...we kind of have to go way back. To the very beginning. Do you know where vampirism came from?"

Aeros shrugged. "I don't know much about it, but I'm guessing it came from a Daedric Prince, like lycanthropy."

"Exactly! The first vampire came from Molag Bal. She...was not a willing subject. But she was still the first. Molag Bal is a powerful Daedric Lord, and his will is made reality. For those willing to subjugate themselves, he will bestow the gift, but they must be powerful in their own right before earning his trust."

"How did you become a vampire then?"

"My parents were devout followers of Molag Bal, and one day were given the opportunity to prove themselves to him and gain his favor and power. As their daughter, I was also made to prove myself. And so, on Molag Bal's summoning day, when women are offered to the King of Rape as sacrifices, my mother and I also took part. The ceremony was...degrading." Serana shuddered at the memory. "Let's not revisit that." Seeing her reaction, Aeros immediately regretted asking. Knowing what he did about Molag Bal, any memories Serana had of that time were likely extremely painful.

"But we all took part in it," she continued. "Not exactly wholesome family activity, but I guess it's something you do when you give yourself to a Daedric Lord."

"How has it affected your family?" Aeros couldn't help but ask. "That kind of power…"

"Well, you've met most of us. My father's not exactly the most stable, and eventually he drove my mother crazy with him. And it all ended with me being locked underground for who knows how long. It's definitely been a bad thing on the whole." She seemed saddened by the thought of it. Aeros couldn't help but feel sympathy for her.

"Are you all right?" he asked, concerned.

Serana pulled herself together. "I will be." She smiled faintly. "Just...give me a little time."

Aeros smiled supportingly, but before either of them could say anything else, the doors to the Arcanaeum opened and Urag entered.

"Arch-Mage, it's good to see you! What can I do for you today?"

"It's good to see you too, Urag," Aeros laughed. "I'm here about a Moth Priest. I need to find one."

"A Moth Priest? What in Oblivion do you need a Moth Priest for?"

"Nothing major." Aeros lied. "I just want to ask him a few questions about something."

"Right," Urag said, unconvinced. "Well, I've been here at the College long enough to know not to ask too many questions. The obvious answer is to go to the Imperial City. The Moth Priests make their home in the White Gold Tower. But sometimes they go out looking for Elder Scrolls. Lucky for you, there's a Moth Priest in Skyrim right now, doing just that, which is why I'm guessing you're here asking me instead of packing for a trip to the Imperial City"

"Any idea where he is?" Aeros asked.

"He stopped in to do some research in the library, then left for Dragon Bridge. If you hurry, you might catch him there."

"Thanks Urag." Aeros said, motioning for Serana to follow him. "That's all I needed to know."

They exited the library and walked out the doors of the college. "So you're the Arch-Mage of the College?" Serana asked curiously as they walked across the bridge.

"Yeah," Aeros chuckled, "among other things." Serana waited for him to elaborate, but when he didn't, she moved on to the topic at hand.

"Do you really think we'll find the Moth Priest at Dragon Bridge?" she asked.

"I hope so. I really don't want to have to chase some old monk all across Skyrim."

Aeros found his horse and climbed on. Offering his hand to Serana, he pulled her up behind him. "We'll need to move fast," he warned her, before digging his heels into the horse's sides, causing the horse to break into a gallop and race out of Winterhold. Serana gave a small shriek and threw her arms around his waist at the sudden burst of speed, still not quite used to the movement of a horse. He was glad she could not see his face at that moment, or else she would have noticed that he was grinning widely at her reaction.

* * *

\- Dragon Bridge -

They reached Dragon Bridge three days later, just as night was about to fall. Looking around, everything was quiet, as the locals either headed for the inn or prepared to turn in for the night. The only ones really outside beside them were the handful of guards charged with protecting the town and keeping the peace.

"Let's try one of the guards," Aeros suggested, tying his horse to a post outside Four Shields Tavern. "They generally keep track of who comes and goes through the settlements, so they're more likely to notice any strangers passing through." Serana nodded in agreement.

They walked towards a nearby guard, who turned as they approached. "Yes, can I help you-" he started to ask in a bored tone, before his eyes widened behind his helmet as he took in Aeros's dragonplate armor, and the hilts of his swords poking out over his shoulders. He straightened, "M-my apologies, Companion," he stammered. "I did not recognize you. Is there anything I can assist you with?"

Aeros waved off the man's apologies. In truth, he didn't expect such respect and awe from others, and while he had grown used to it, he was just as happy to deal with those who treated him as just a man, and not some kind of living legend. "There is actually something you can help me with," he said, ignoring Serana's curious stare. "My companion and I are looking for a Moth Priest who was supposed to be traveling in this direction. He's likely an older man, dressed like a monk, perhaps asking questions about old ruins and places of power. Do you know of anyone who passed through here recently who might have fit that description?"

"Ah, so that was a Moth Priest, then?" the guard said almost immediately. "He rode through town not too long ago with an escort of soldiers. They didn't stop, just headed south across the Dragon Bridge."

"Thank you for your help," Aeros said. The guard shook his head.

"No, it was my honor to assist the slayer of the Glenmoril Witches!" the guard said. "I wish you luck in your search, Companion." With that, he took his leave, returning to his rounds and leaving Aeros and Serana alone.

"Come on," Aeros said, turning back towards the tavern. "Let's head inside and see if there are any rooms still available."

"Aren't we going to go after the Moth Priest?" Serana asked in confusion as she walked alongside him.

Aeros shook his head. "Not right now. It's almost dark and even with my night vision, or even yours, we're still likely to miss something. Not to mention that if we did find the Moth Priest, I doubt his guards would welcome us if we showed up unannounced in the middle of the night; especially since the things that usually do are rarely friendly. We'll pick the trail back up tomorrow morning."

Seeing Serana yawn slightly, he smiled. "Besides, we're both tired from the weeklong ride from Fort Dawnguard to Winterhold to here. I don't know about you, but I'm looking forward to a hot meal and being able to sleep in a real bed tonight."

They entered the tavern and found two empty seats at a table, which was a surprise. Four Shields Tavern was always a very busy place and served a wide variety of patrons as a result of the large amount of traffic that often passed through Dragon Bridge. The amount of people passing through the village had lessened somewhat now that the war was over, but business in the Four Shields Tavern was always booming. Besides the locals who came for a night of carousing and swapping tales, the tavern regularly served a number of adventurers, soldiers, and travelling merchants as they passed through. A few even rented rooms for the night, before continuing on their way the next morning, which is what Aeros was hoping to do, if any rooms were still available.

Telling Serana he would be right back, he left her at the table as he went to the bar to talk with the innkeeper, Faida, about getting two rooms for the night.

While she waited for him to return, Serana gazed about her with interest. During their journey to find the Moth Priest, and even before that, when Aeros was helping her return to her family's castle, they had never had the opportunity to stop at an inn or tavern, opting instead to sleep out in the open or in makeshift shelters that Aeros threw together. In truth, even before she had been sealed away in Dimhollow Crypt, she had not visited an inn or tavern, since as a lord's daughter, she was not supposed to mingle with the commoners, as they were supposedly beneath her. At least, that was what she had been told growing up. Looking around now, at all of the different men and women joking and laughing, and simply enjoying the company of others, she did not see anything about them that indicated they were any less than a noble. In fact, she found she actually preferred the atmosphere of the tavern to that of her father's court. It was so much more lively and boisterous than anywhere else she had been. In comparison, the Volkihar court had always been a cold place, even before her family became vampires, as nobles and vampires alike constantly schemed and plotted against one another, vying for her father's favor. Here at least, any arguments or disagreements with others were voiced loudly and openly, and were more often than not settled in a fistfight. Within minutes, regardless of who won, the two men who had just been fighting would be laughing and drinking with each other like old friends.

She soaked in the feeling of warmth and life that the tavern practically radiated, truly enjoying herself for the first time in a long time. She was so absorbed in watching the various people in the tavern, that at first she did not realize that someone was standing in front of her, asking her a question.

"I'm sorry, what did you say?" she asked as she was broken out of her reverie. She looked up to find a young, attractive-looking Breton woman, dressed in a similar fashion to the innkeeper, looking at her expectantly.

The woman smiled in understanding. "It's a lot to take in, isn't it?" she said, turning her gaze to towards the crowd of patrons momentarily before turning back to Serana. "It sometimes gets more crowded in here than some of the pubs and taverns in the cities, so it can be a little overwhelming for someone who's not used to it."

Serana shook her head. "No, it's not overwhelming to me. It's actually rather soothing watching all of these people interact."

The young woman raised an eyebrow curiously at this, but did not comment on it. "My name is Julienne," she said, introducing herself. "I was asking if you wanted to order something to eat or drink?"

Serana thought about it. She was rather hungry, but she didn't have any money on her; Aeros was the one with the coin purse. Besides, it had been so long since she had actually eaten anything that she wasn't sure what would taste good or not.

Seeing her hesitation, Julienne told her, "You don't have to order anything now. If you decide you want something, just wave to get my attention."

Serana smiled in thanks. "Thank you, Julienne, I'll make sure to do that," she said. Realizing she hadn't given her name yet, she introduced herself. "I'm Serana, by the way."

"It's nice to meet you, Serana," Julienne said warmly. She noticed the empty seat next to Serana. "Are you here alone, or did you travel with a companion?" she asked curiously.

Serana shook her head. "No, I didn't come here alone. My companion is up at the counter, seeing about getting us rooms for the night." She pointed towards Aeros, who was still talking with Faida.

Julienne's eyes widened when she saw who Serana's companion was, especially when he turned around towards them and she caught a clear glimpse of his face. "Oh my," she gasped. She smiled conspiratorially at Serana. "I had no idea he was your companion. You're quite the lucky woman. What I wouldn't give to be in your place."

"What do you mean?" Serana asked in confusion. She knew that Aeros was the Arch-Mage of the College of Winterhold, and based off of their conversation with the guard, he was also a member of the Companions. But even so, she didn't understand why Julienne would react that way after seeing who she was travelling with. I suppose he is quite handsome, Serana thought to herself, blushing at the thought.

Aeros was tall, even for a Nord, and well-muscled, as she had seen for herself whenever they had stopped for the night and he removed his armor. His hair, a dark brown color that was unusual for a Nord, was cut short, although not as short as the style normally seen amongst the Legion. His most attractive feature though, was his eyes. They were a bright blue that seemed to shift depending on his mood, becoming a stormy grey when he was angered, or a vivid blue when he was excited. There was an intenseness about them that drew you in, as well as a depth and wisdom to them that Serana had never seen in a man Aeros's age. Combined with the unconscious grace and confidence with which he moved, she could see why women would be attracted to him.

But Julienne seemed to be talking about something more than just Aeros's good looks. She almost acts as if he was some kind of living legend or the savior of the world.

"You mean you don't know?!" Julienne said in surprise and shock. "How could you not? He's the Dr-"

She was interrupted by the return of Aeros, and she stopped talking, suddenly tongue-tied. "Julienne, right?" Aeros asked as he sat down, glancing up at the Breton woman. She nodded mutely. "Can we get two bowls of beef stew and two bottles of Honningbrew Mead, if you have any?"

She nodded again, blushing deeply, before she fled. Aeros watched her go in bemusement. "You two looked like you were getting along," he commented as he turned back to face Serana.

"She was friendly," Serana agreed. "But for whatever reason, she seemed surprised when I told her that you were my traveling companion."

"Really?" Aeros said in puzzlement. "I don't know why she would be. It's not like it's uncommon for a man and a woman to be traveling together."

"It wasn't that," Serana said. "She seemed to think that you were someone else, someone important."

Aeros looked at her oddly for a moment, before he started laughing suddenly, to Serana's surprise. "I wonder what she meant by that," he said with a chuckle. "How could I be anyone else but me? I wonder who she could have mistaken me for?"

Serana shrugged, as she herself didn't know. Their conversation was interrupted by the arrival of their meal, and despite herself, Serana;s stomach growled at the mouthwatering smell wafting from the bowl. Despite what most people thought, even though food was no longer a necessity for a vampire, substituted instead by blood, that didn't mean that some of them didn't still eat normal food from time to time. Some used it to help blend in better in human communities, while others considered it almost a delicacy. And then, there were a few who, like Serana, had long forgotten the taste of normal food and drink, and simply found it a nice change from the blood they normally drank.

Aeros watched in amusement as Serana made various noises of contentment at the rich taste of the stew. Before she knew it, the bowl was empty, and she had to stifle a sigh of disappointment. Aeros slid a bottle of Honningbrew Mead across the table until it came to a rest against her fingertips. She gratefully grabbed the bottle of mead, and pulled the cork out. She took a tentative sip, before looking at the bottle in surprise.

"It's sweet!" she said in surprise. "And cold?" Indeed, the bottle she held was cool to the touch, with drops of condensation dripping down its sides.

Aeros chuckled. "I figured you had never tried alcohol before, so it was better to start you off with something sweeter like Honningbrew instead of ale or alto wine. It's sweet because they add a little extra honey to the mix. Honestly, I consider Honningbrew Mead just as good as anything that comes from Black-Briar Meadery, although Maven Black-Briar would probably have my head if she heard me say that."

"And the cold?" Serana questioned. Even if the tavern was able to keep their drinks cool in the cellar, they doubted they could keep them this cool, especially not in the middle of summer.

Aeros grinned. "A little trick of mine. As it turns out, there are advantages to being a mage." He held up his hand, and Serana could see frost pooling in the palm of his hand before dripping to the floor.

Serana took another small sip of her cooled mead. She found that she quite liked the sweet taste of honey mixed in with the more bitter taste of alcohol. She wasn't sure if she would care for some of the stronger stuff, but this was fine for right now.

She set her bottle down and glanced towards Aeros. "So did you manage to rent us rooms for the night?" she asked.

Aeros grimaced. "Sort of…" he said "I got us a room. I tried getting two, but Faida said that they only have the one left. Evidently there's a trading caravan in town right now, and they're renting all of her other rooms until they move on to Solitude."

"I see..." was all Serana said, an inscrutable expression on her face. She looked at him demurely, her eyes thoughtful. "So this is how you get women into bed with you," she said. "By saying you were only able to get a single room."

Aeros spit out the mouthful of mead he had just taken. "W-what?!" he all but yelled. Several of the other patrons in the tavern turned to look at them. "What?" he repeated in a lower voice. "No, I swear, that was never my intention! I tried as hard as I could to get us separate rooms, but there was nothing I could do. I managed to get us separate beds on the opposite sides of the room though, so you don't have to worry about me trying-"

Serana couldn't contain herself anymore and doubled over laughing at the mortified look on Aeros's face as he rambled. "I'm sorry," she gasped, tears of laughter streaming down her face as she struggled to catch her breath, "but I couldn't help myself. I just had to see the look on your face!"

She continued to laugh merrily at Aeros, and after realizing he had been pranked, he grumbled a little, but couldn't help but chuckle a little himself. Privately though, he resolved to get her back later.

They continued to talk and make merry late into the night, before finally retiring to their room. Serana had Aeros turn away as she changed for bed, and with her practical joke still fresh in his mind, he quickly obeyed. Only when he heard her slip underneath the covers of her bed did he turn around, quickly stripping down to his undergarments and climbing into his own bed. He doused the lamp sitting on the bedside table, and fell asleep within a few minutes.

* * *

They rose early the next morning, in the hopes of making up for lost time in chasing down the Moth Priest.

Aeros was up before Serana was, and after grabbing a quick bite to eat, was out the tavern door, saddling their horse so they could leave as soon as possible.

Serana woke not too long afterwards. She groggily got dressed and strapped her dagger on, before leaving the room while blearily trying to wipe the sleep from her eyes. When she looked up, she found Julienne smiling at her knowingly. Her mind still bleary with sleep, she stared back at the woman uncomprehendingly. But as the last vestiges of sleep dissipated from her mind, she stiffened, suddenly realizing why Julienne was looking at her like that, and what her stumbling bleary-eyed out of the same room that Aeros had slept in must look like.

Flushing with embarrassment, Serana hurriedly thanked the innkeeper for the room and rushed out of the tavern. She found Aeros just outside, securing the last saddlebag and untying the lead from the hitching post. He looked up at her approach. "There you are," he greeted her. "I was just about to come in and get you. Everything's all set; we can head out whenever you're rea-"

"Now. I'm ready now," Serana said quickly. Aeros looked at her curiously.

"Are you sure?" he questioned. "You don't want to say goodbye to Julienne? You two seemed to hit it off last night."

"Yep. I'm sure," Serana replied. "Let's get going and find that Moth Priest."

Without waiting for a reply, she swung herself up into the saddle. Aeros stared at her, puzzled by her odd behavior. He noticed she was blushing, but he had no idea what might have caused it. Shrugging, he swung up into the saddle in front of her, and guided them across the Dragon Bridge.

"Hopefully, this Moth Priest didn't get too far," Serana said as they rounded another bend in the path. "A scholar and an entire escort of soldiers probably aren't able to move that fast, right?"

Aeros nodded in agreement. It had been ten minutes or so since they crossed the Dragon Bridge, and Serana was back to normal. He was curious as to what had gotten her so flustered, but every time he brought it up, she quickly changed the subject, until finally he decided to leave it alone.

So far, they had seen no sign of the Moth Priest, although they had found signs of a wagon or carriage passing through, as well as a large number of horses. Figuring that they must have been made by the Moth Priest and his escort, Aeros and Serana followed the tracks.

Just as they were about to round another bend, Serana inhaled sharply. Aeros glanced back at her. "What is it?" he asked. "Is something wrong?"

"I smell blood," she told him. "A lot of it, right up ahead of us." The two of them exchanged worried glances before Aeros urged his horse into a gallop.

They soon found the source as they rounded the bend. Lying on its side was an abandoned carriage, the horses that pulled it dead not that far away. Bodies were scattered all along the road. Aeros and Serana both slid off of the back of their horse to take a closer look around

Aeros knelt down next to the body of an Imperial soldier and examined it. The man looked like he had been stabbed in the back, his face still bearing an expression of surprise. "The blood's not more than a day old," he noted. "What happened here? It looks like it was the site of an ambush, but why would anyone want to attack a Moth Priest? Even bandits wouldn't try and attack such a well-armed entourage." He noticed two puncture marks on the man's neck, but before he could examine them, he heard Serana call his name.

"Aeros," Serana called. "Some of these bodies are vampires. They must have kidnapped the Moth Priest."

Aeros came over and knelt down next to her, searching the dead vampire for any kind of clue as to where they might have taken the Moth Priest. It didn't take long to find a note on the body. He unfolded it.

"What does it say?" Serana asked, looking over his shoulder.

"I have new orders for you," Aeros read aloud. "Prepare an ambush just south of Dragon Bridge. Take the Moth Priest to Forebears' Holdout for safekeeping until I can break his will. -Malkus." He turned the note over, but there was nothing else written.

"This isn't good," Serana said worriedly. "If they're trying to break the Moth Priest's will, that means they mean to enthrall him. We can't let that happen."

Aeros nodded in agreement as he tried to think where he had heard of the name of the hideout before. "Forebears' Holdout?" he wondered aloud, trying to pull the scrap of information from his memory. "I think that's nearby." He pulled out a map from one of his saddlebags and examined it closely. Finally he pointed at a spot not too far from where they currently were. "I was right, it's close. Come on, let's hurry!"

Jumping back into the saddle, the two of them hurried along the road. As they rode, they could see blood stains along the road, heading in the same direction they were. Finally they saw something off to the right resembling standing stones. Quickly tethering his horse to a nearby tree, Aeros scrambled up the small rock wall after Serana. It was easy to spot the cave entrance lying just beyond the stone pillars, and the trail of blood leading to it.

Entering the cave, they moved along the passageway and found themselves in a large cavern. A small creek ran through the inside of the cave, and on the other side was the remnants of a stone holdout. Aeros could see several vampires and thralls walking along the ramparts. At the far end of the cave, on the upper level of the holdout, Aeros and Serana could just barely make out some sort of magical barrier.

Moving quickly, Aeros and Serana dispatched the two death hounds guarding the bridge across the creek. Staying close to the edges of the wall to avoid detection, they took shelter underneath the holdout's gateway. Staying back in the shadows, they watched a thrall walk by as they tried to determine their next move.

"How do you want to do this?" Serana whispered.

"I'd say as stealthily as possible," Aeros replied, keeping his voice down, "but I don't think we have that much time. That letter said something about 'breaking his will.'"

"So we just charge in and cause as much chaos and destruction as possible?" Serana asked with a smirk. "I can do that."

Kicking off of the ground, Aeros charged into the open, a fireball already leaving his hand before the thrall even turned around. The spell exploded on impact, engulfing the man in flames. Looking up, he saw another thrall aiming an arrow at his head. Leaping to the side, Aeros twisted violently in an attempt to avoid the arrow, but there was no need. As he twisted, an ice spike shot past him and impaled the thrall in the chest. The thrall dropped without a sound. Aeros gave Serana a smile in thanks before rushing the next foe.

The two of them fought their way through the courtyard and up the stairs in the adjoining tower. Reaching the top, they found two vampires standing in front of the barrier. Inside they could make out the figure of a man.

"How much longer can you keep this up, Moth Priest? Your mind was strong, but you are exhausted from the struggle. I am impressed that you have managed to resist for so long," one of the vampires said.

"Must...resist…" the man inside the barrier groaned.

"Yes, I can feel your defenses crumbling. You want it to end. You want to give in to me. Now, acknowledge me as your master!"

There was a note of magical command in the vampire's voice as he spoke the last sentence, and the Moth Priest slumped as he ceased struggling. "Yes, Master," he said, his voice and expression both dead and devoid of all emotion.

"Shit!" Aeros swore, charging forward. The vampires turned at the sudden intrusion, surprise on their faces, but that lasted only a moment before they attacked.

Sidestepping a bolt of lightning, Aeros dashed towards the lead vampire, an orc who Aeros assumed was Malkus. Once he was within reach Aeros swung his swords. Unfortunately, he forgot about the orc's raw strength, made even worse by his vampiric nature. Malkus dodged the deadly blades with apparent ease, and his fist shot out at Aeros almost faster than he could react. Backpedaling as fast as he could, Aeros brought his swords up in front of him, crossing them in an attempt to stop the blow. The orc's fist crashed against the dragonbone blades with incredible strength, actually pushing Aeros back a foot or two as his arms trembled with the effort of making sure the orc didn't break through his defense.

Knowing he would probably not be able to block a second punch like that, Aeros put everything he had into his attack, swinging his swords faster and faster until his arms were just a blur, his swords leaving glowing afterimages in the air. Malkus was forced onto the defensive as he worked his axe desperately in blocking the attacks. Skilled as he was though, the orc couldn't block every attack, and finally, a blade slipped through his guard, biting deep into his side. Grunting, he grasped at the sword with one hand, attempting to pull it out, while raising his axe with the other hand in an attempt to strike. Before he could accomplish either of these though, he was blasted by a volley of lightning from the side. Muscles spasming, he was unable to do anything as Aeros lunged forward and sank his remaining blade into the orc's chest.

As the vampire fell, Aeros looked over and saw that Serana had already finished her opponent. "Thanks for that," he said gratefully, sheathing his swords. "That guy was a monster."

"Anytime," Serana said with a smirk. "Now, how about we free that Moth Priest?"

The two of them turned to examine the magical barrier in front of them. Inside, the Moth Priest had ceased to move, simply staring at them. Aeros knelt down and began probing with his magic for a weak point.

"Anything?" Serana asked. He glanced up at her.

"I can't break through this on my own," he said with a shake of his head. "It's way too strong for one, or even two people. But it looks like there should be some kind of key or focus for the spell. If we can find that, and find the matching lock, we should be able to shut down the spell."

Before he could stand back up, Serana reached down and plucked something from Malkus' corpse. "You mean this?" she said, holding a glowing weystone. He grinned at her and took the stone from her.

"Now we just need to find the source for the spell," he said.

That didn't prove all that hard to do. It only took them a minute or two to find a glowing weystone pillar up on a stone platform, with a slot in the top. Inserting the focus, the two of them stepped back. With a loud rumble, the weystones maintaining the barrier began to sink into the floor, the barrier dispelling.

"Well," Aeros said, "all that's left now is to-"

"I serve my master's will," the Moth Priest said down below. "But my master is dead, and his enemies must pay!" At which point he proceeded to shoot a fireball at Aeros's head.

Aeros managed to duck his head just in time, but now had to deal with a murderous Moth Priest. "What's wrong with him?" he yelled, dodging another fireball.

"His mind is enthralled!" Serana yelled back. "We have to break the hold the vampires have on his mind. But the only way to do that is to actually fight him!"

"So I have to fight someone who wants to kill me, while trying not to kill them?" Aeros asked dryly. "This should be interesting."

Jumping down to where the Moth Priest was, Aeros drew his swords and counterattacked. Initially, he was cautious, restraining his attacks in an effort to not hurt the Moth Priest. But after the third time or so that he was almost decapitated, he realized that if he didn't fight seriously, he was going to get killed.

After that, he attacked furiously, raining blow after blow down on the Moth Priest. Finally he disarmed the Moth Priest, his sword landing a few feet away as he delivered a sharp blow to the side of the man's head with the flat of his blade. The man staggered and fell to his knees

"Wait, stop!' he cried out, his voice different than it had been before. "I yield." Aeros checked the blow he had been about to deliver, and lowered his swords slowly.

The Moth Priest seemed to have regained awareness. "That...that wasn't me you were fighting," he said while trying to catch his breath. "I could see through my eyes, but I could not control my actions. Thank you for breaking that foul vampire's hold over me."

"Are you all right?" Aeros had to ask. He wanted to make sure the man wasn't going to go psychotic on him again and try to kill someone.

"Yes, I am now, thanks to you. My name is Dexion Evicus. I'm a Moth Priest from the White Gold Tower. These vampires claimed they had some purpose in store for me, but they wouldn't say what. Probably hoping to ransom me, the fools."

Aeros glanced at Serana, who shrugged. He turned back to Dexion. "I know why they needed you," he said slowly, choosing his words with care. "And it wasn't for a ransom. In fact, we need you for the same reason."

"You do?" Dexion said, raising an eyebrow. "Very well then, enough mysteries. What do you want with me?"

"I'll explain as best I can. Time is short. We're with a group called the Dawnguard, who oppose the vampires. We need you to read an Elder Scroll."

"You have an Elder Scroll? Remarkable!" Dexion sounded pleasantly surprised. "If my knowledge of history serves me, I recall that the Dawnguard was an ancient order of vampire hunters. I will be happy to assist you with your Elder Scroll. Just tell me where I need to go."

Aeros was shocked by Dexion's knowledge. Not very many people knew much about the Dawnguard's past beyond a few fragments, even amongst its members. "The rest of the order is at Fort Dawnguard, near Stendarr's Beacon," Aeros told him. "We'll go with you, to make sure there aren't any more ambushes."

"Very well. I will wait for you outside. We best not wait around here too long, in case more of those vampires show up."

As Dexion began making his way back to the entrance of the cave, Aeros let out a huge sigh of relief. Serana looked at him questioningly. "I'm just glad he decided to help us," he explained. "I don't know what we would have done if he had refused."

"Oh," Serana blinked. "I never thought of that. But from what I've heard of the Moth Priests, he would have been willing to do just about anything to get his hands on our Elder Scroll."

"You're probably right. But how did these vampires know about Dexion in the first place?"

"No doubt it has something to do with my father. He most likely contacted all the other vampire clans in Skyrim and told them to be on the lookout for a Moth Priest. Knowing him, he probably offered them a position in his court as a reward."

"Great," Aeros muttered. "Do they know we have the Scroll yet?"

She shook her head. "I don't think so. At least not yet. If they did, we'd be fighting our way just to get outside."

"Well, that's a relief at least. Now, we better go join Dexion and get back to the fort."

* * *

\- Fort Dawnguard -

After rescuing Dexion, the three of them returned back to Dragon Bridge and purchased two more horses for Serana and Dexion. While Serana still wasn't quite an expert rider, she was at least able to stay on, and keep up with Aeros and Dexion. Luckily, the trip back to Fort Dawnguard was uneventful, with no sign of any vampire pursuers, something that Aeros was more than happy to have stay that way. Just before they reached the hidden canyon, they stopped for lunch in a small clearing alongside the road.

As Serana took a bite of her food, she sighed. "I hope there's real food back at the fort," she said wistfully. For the past few days, they had been eating a mixture of military style rations and whatever Aeros managed to catch when they stopped for the night. It wasn't bad, but Serana couldn't wait to eat something besides meat and dried fruit.

"And here I thought you vampires only like blood," Aeros joked, taking a bite out of an apple he had pulled out without Serana noticing.

"Ha ha, very funny," Serana said dryly. "Just because I'm a vampire doesn't mean I can't eat real food from time to ti-" She froze, staring intently at Aeros. "Where did you get that apple?" she demanded.

"Oh, this?" Aeros asked innocently, pretending to notice it for the first time. "I bought a few of them back in Dragon Bridge. I've been keeping them in one of my saddlebags."

"And you never thought to share?" Serana asked, trying to act calm, but Aeros could tell she wanted nothing more than to steal the piece of fruit out of his hand.

He hid his grin by taking a large bite out of the apple. He was finally getting revenge for the joke Serana had pulled on him at the Four Shields Tavern. He decided he would make her suffer just a little longer before giving her what he was hiding behind his back.

"I thought about it," he admitted. "But you looked so content with your meat and dried fruit that I thought you might not even want something as meager as an apple."

Serana growled in her throat as she lunged forward, trying to grab the apple. Laughing, Aeros danced out of reach, taking another bite right in front of her. As she lunged at him again, he threw the object that had been hidden behind his back at her. Startled, Serana caught it, momentarily forgetting her desire to steal Aeros's apple.

"Don't worry, I didn't forget about you," Aeros said teasingly. "That's why I also bought several sweet rolls as well. This was just payback for the tavern."

Serana took a bite out of the sweet roll, and she smiled in delight at the sugary sweetness. She quickly devoured it, and looked up at Aeros with a hungry look in her eyes.

"Do you have any more?" she demanded. "You do, don't you?" She tried grabbing the saddlebag laying at Aeros's feet but he pulled it out of her reach.

"Oh, no!" he laughed as he continued to keep the bag out of Serana's reach. "Help! I think I've created a monster!"

Dexion quietly observed the two of them as they playfully fought over the saddlebag. "I must admit," he said after a while, "you two are quite unusual." His words startled the two, who in truth, had forgotten that he was even there.

"What do you mean?" Serana questioned. While, she was distracted, Aeros pulled the saddlebag out of her grasp and quietly redistributed the sweet rolls amongst the other bags. Dexion caught this, but said nothing, although his eyes crinkled in amusement. Grinning at the older man, Aeros resumed eating his apple.

The elderly Moth Priest returned his attention to Serana and to answering her question. "You two are vampire hunter and vampire," he explained, "beings that should be mortal enemies, and yet you do not act like it. Instead you act like two friends who have known each other for years."

Aeros shrugged. "I wish I could explain it myself, Dexion," he said. "But it's not something I understand myself. It's been a little over a month since I rescued Serana from that crypt, but I trust her completely and know that she'll be there to watch my back." He laughed ruefully. "Actually, she's saved my life a couple of times already."

Serana nodded. "It's the same way for me. I don't know why, but I know I can trust Aeros completely. It's why I was willing to walk right into a fort full of vampire hunters."

"Either that, or you might be insane," Aeros quipped. Serana swung at him and he avoided it, chuckling. "Then again," he added, "I might be the one who's more insane. After all, I'm the one who's friends with a vampire."

Serana tried grabbing him again, but he slid out of her grasp again, full-on laughing now. Dexion watched the two of them, a small smile tugging at his lips. Unusual their companionship might be, but he suspected neither of them realized the full truth of what lay at its core. Part of him wanted to mention it to the two of them, but he shook his head. They would realize it in time, he was sure.

It wasn't too long afterwards that they decided to continue onwards to Fort Dawnguard. Securing their saddlebags, the three of them mounted their horses and set off once more.

It didn't take them long to find the entrance to the hidden canyon. Leading their horses up to the fort, they had one of the new recruits take them away, as Aeros and Serana opened the doors leading inside the fort. Inside, they found Isran waiting for them.

"I'm impressed you managed to find a Moth Priest so quickly," he said with a hint of respect in his voice.

"Luckily, we weren't too late," Aeros replied. "Is everything ready?" After rescuing Dexion, he had sent word ahead to Isran, asking him to prepare a space for Dexion to read the Elder Scrolls, as well as quarters for the old man. He would have sent a courier, since they were incredibly quick and always seemed able to find the recipient no matter where in Skyrim they were, but he had a feeling that Isran wouldn't have appreciated some random messenger finding out the location of Fort Dawnguard, so instead he had used a messenger bird.

"For the reading? Just about." He glanced around and scowled. "But first, I think some of our recruits need a little extra work to do, since they all seem so keen on lazing about."

Aeros also looked around, and saw Isran was right. In addition to the senior members of the Dawnguard, it seemed that a fair number, if not most, of the recruits had gathered in small groups around the central chamber, obviously interested in what was going on. No doubt, they had either eavesdropped on their elders, or had heard rumors about why he and Serana had left the fort. While he wouldn't normally have an issue with them listening in on Dexion's reading of the Scroll, he couldn't shake the feeling that the less people who knew about whatever they learned from the Scroll, the better. He also didn't like the looks some of the newer Dawnguard members were shooting him and Serana; they promised nothing but trouble.

"All right, you lot!" Isran bellowed. "Enough lollygagging. You all think you're ready to take on vampires? Don't make me laugh. As you all stand right now, it would be child's play for a vampire to rip your throats out! So I want every last one of you down training at either the archery range or the sparring yard, and if I see so much as a single person lazing about, I'll have you running laps around the valley from dawn to dusk!"

No one wanting to risk Isran's wrath, every last one of the recruits scrambled to grab their gear and fled from the fort. As some of them scrambled past him, Aeros noted the dirty glares they shot at him and Serana. Isran nodded in satisfaction. "Durak, would you and Vanik mind going with them? Make sure they don't get any ideas they shouldn't and help beat their lessons into them? I'll fill you in on things later."

The grey-haired orc smiled savagely. "It would be my pleasure," he rumbled, before he and Vanik followed after the recruits. After the great doors closed behind them, the only people left were the senior members of the Dawnguard, Aeros, Serana, and Dexion.

Isran looked at Aeros. "Now we have some privacy. Just let the old man know when you're ready."

Aeros nodded and turned around to look for Dexion. The Moth Priest was gazing around with obvious interest, almost oblivious to the mad dash of the recruits. "Are you ready to read the Elder Scroll, Dexion?" he asked the older man.

"Oh, most certainly!" Dexion said excitedly. "Let's find out what secrets the Scroll can tell us." Aeros nodded to Serana and she handed Dexion the Elder Scroll, which had been kept at Fort Dawnguard while they had searched for the Moth Priest.

"Excellent! Now, if everyone will please be quiet, I must concentrate." Dexion unrolled the Scroll slowly. Aeros almost expected a glow or odd symbols to appear, like when he had read an Elder Scroll, but he couldn't see any odd effects, just a look of intense concentration on Dexion's face.

"I see a vision before me, an image of a great bow," Dexion said aloud. "I know this weapon! It is Auriel's Bow! Now a voice whispers, saying 'Among the night's children, a dread lord will rise. In an age of strife, when dragons return to the realm of men, darkness will mingle with light, and the night and day shall be as one.' The voice fades and the words begin to shimmer and distort. But wait, there is more here. The secret to the bow's power is written elsewhere. I think there is more to the prophecy recorded in other Scrolls."

"Yes, I see them now. One contains the ancient secrets of the dragons, and the other speaks of the potency of ancient blood. My vision darkens, and I see no more. To know the complete prophecy, we must have the other two Scrolls." Something seemed to drain out of the man, and he sagged with sudden weariness. "I must rest now," he said, slowly closing the Scroll. "The reading has made me weary."

"Come on, old man," Isran said, supporting the Moth Priest. "You should get some rest. I'll take you to your quarters."

As Isran led the tired, old Moth Priest away, Aeros pondered the words of Dexion's prophecy, and what their meaning might be. Unfortunately, he knew that their meaning would likely only be revealed as the events unfolded, as he knew was common with prophecies. Still, that didn't make it any less infuriating.

His musings were interrupted by Serana, although he didn't really mind. All he was going to accomplish following his current line of thought was running around in circles and giving himself a massive headache. Serana waited until Isran and Dexion were gone, and the other members of the Dawnguard were out of earshot before she spoke. "Do you have a moment to talk?" she asked.

"Of course. What's on your mind?" he asked, taking in her expression. She seemed...hesitant.

"That Moth Priest, Dexion. He said we need two more Elder Scrolls. I think I know where we can start looking."

"As good as that is to hear, why didn't you say something earlier?" Aeros questioned. He wasn't annoyed with her, just curious.

"Half the people in your little crew would just as soon kill me as talk to me. That doesn't exactly make me want to open up." A deaf man could have heard the sarcasm in her voice. "I got a warmer welcome from my father, and that's saying something."

"What is it between you two? For someone who's supposed to be your father, you really don't seem to get along with him. Hell, you're working with the Dawnguard to go oppose him."

"I know," she sighed. "Ever since he decided to make that prophecy his calling, we kind of drifted apart. I don't think he even sees me as his daughter anymore. I'm just...a means to an end."

"I'm sorry," Aeros said apologetically. "I shouldn't have brought it up." Deciding to change the subject, he asked "So where is this Elder Scroll?"

"We need to find my mother, Valerica. She'll definitely know where it is, and if we're lucky, she actually has it herself."

"I thought you said you didn't know where she went?"

"I don't," Serana admitted. "But the last time I saw her, she said she'd go somewhere safe...somewhere that my father would never search. Other than that, she wouldn't tell me anything. But the way she said it…'someplace he'd never search.' It was cryptic, yet she called attention to it."

"Sounds like she was being cautious."

"Maybe. What I can't figure out is why she said it that way. Besides, I can't imagine a single place my father would avoid looking. And he's had all this time, too. I'll try to think of where she might have gone. In the meantime, how are we going to find this other Elder Scroll, the one containing the 'secrets of the dragons?' Elder Scrolls are extremely rare, and besides the two my family possessed, the only other place I would know where to look is the...what's so funny?" she demanded, glaring at Aeros, who was laughing with a huge grin on his face.

"I just might know where we can find that other Elder Scroll."

* * *

Author's Notes: Sorry for the wait, but for some reason this chapter took me longer to write than previous ones.

Edit: So one of the things I decided to do during my rewrite was to slow down the pace of things a bit, and allow Aeros's and Serana's relationship to grow at a more steady and natural pace. Of course, that also means I get the chance to add more amusing or nonsense scenes like some of the ones in this chapter. I hope you enjoy reading them as much as I did writing them.

Characters:

Urag gro-Shub: Orc librarian who runs the College's Arcanium with an iron fist. He doesn't put up with any nonsense, especially regarding his books.

Faida: A Nord innkeeper and owner of the Four Shields Tavern, Faida is currently training Julienne in the innkeeper business so that she can take over from her.

Julienne Lylvieve: A young Breton woman, she and her family are locals of Dragon Bridge. She currently works at the Four Shields Tavern as a bar maid while she receives training in the innkeeper business from Faida.

Malkus: The vampire who orchestrates Dexion's abduction in the hopes for a place in Harkon's court. He is also the only known orsimer vampire in the game, with the possible exception of the player.

Dexion: A Moth Priest visiting Skyrim in search of the Elder Scrolls. Following your rescue of him from the vampires, he agrees to read the Elder Scroll for you. Unfortunately, he goes blind as a result of this. If this blindness is permanent remains to be seen.

Durak: An Orsimer and member of the Dawnguard, Durak can be encountered in one of the cities where he will invite you to join the Dawnguard. He joined the Dawnguard in order to avenge his two wives, who were killed by vampires. In this version of events, he also serves as Isran's right-hand man.

Vanik: A member of the Dawnguard, you do not typically meet Vanik if you side with the Dawnguard. However, should you choose to side with the Volkihar, he is the commander of the group that storms Forebears' Holdout in an attempt to rescue Dexion.

Dragon Language: None used.


	6. Road to the Dawn 6

Road to the Dawn 6

"Gods damn it!" Aeros swore. "How the hell did I manage to misplace something like an Elder Scroll?" He continued digging through multiple chests and drawers.

Serana sat in a corner of the room, watching Aeros search the various containers in the room. After learning that they needed two other Elder Scrolls besides the first one to discover the location of Auriel's Bow, Aeros had revealed that he knew the location of one of them. However, he refused to elaborate further when Serana questioned him about it, simply saying that she would have to wait and see. Trusting that he had his reasons, Serana agreed to accompany him in retrieving the Scroll.

Of course, when Aeros said that he knew where an Elder Scroll was, Serana had pictured it being held in some obscure location, such as an ancient ruin or even the College of Winterhold. So it was to her surprise when they instead arrived in Solitude, where Aeros led the way to his residence in the city, Proudspire Manor.

"So how is it again that you happen to have an Elder Scroll of all things just lying around your house?" she questioned as she looked around the room curiously. She never would have imagined that Aeros would live in a place such as this; she had always pictured him owning a relatively small and unassuming house in somewhere like Whiterun. Again she wondered just who Aeros really was, to be able to afford a place like this.

As she looked about, she noticed what appeared to be a tattered banner of some sort hanging on the wall, the kind often carried by the different companies of an army. The banner itself was a plain red in color, but what made it so interesting to Serana was the unusual symbol that was its centerpoint. It was a dragon, black against the red background, with its wings partly outstretched. It was similar in design to the various Imperial flags she had seen around the city. Unlike the relatively simple Imperial design however, this one was far more lifelike and gave off a feeling of ferocity and power, as if whoever had made the banner had actually seen a living, breathing dragon up close. Underneath the banner was a set of battered Imperial armor, various dents and scorch marks serving as evidence of numerous battles.

"That's a long story," Aeros answered distractedly, moving to another chest. "Jordis!" he yelled. "Are you sure I put it in here?"

"Yes, my Thane!" she hollered up the stairs. "You said you wanted to keep it here for safekeeping while you decided what to do with it."

"I know that," Aeros muttered, "but where did I put it? It has to be here somewh-Ah ha! Found it!" He waved the Scroll in the air triumphantly. "Now I remember. I wanted to make sure it was secure so I put it in the safe."

"You put it in a safe in your house?" Serana asked incredulously. "Isn't that a bit careless? I mean, there are thieves, and plenty of other people who would love to get their hands on an Elder Scroll."

Aeros smirked. "That's why I left a little surprise for anyone who tried to open it but me. You learn quite a few useful tricks at the College. Especially when you're the Arch-Mage."

The two of them walked down the stairs to the first floor, where Jordis was sitting at a table eating an apple. "Thanks, Jordis," Aeros said as they walked by. "I wouldn't have found it without you."

"I'm glad I could help, my Thane," she replied, taking another bite of her apple. "But perhaps next time, put it somewhere you'll actually remember?" The two women laughed at the sheepish look on his face. "I'll try to keep that in mind next time, Jordis," he said with as much dignity as he could muster, which only made the two laugh even more.

Once they finally got outside, Aeros and Serana stood on Proudspire Manor's patio. "I've been wondering," Serana began.

"About?" Aeros asked as they walked down the steps. There were a number of people walking past them on the street, although not as many as in other parts of the city. Typically, the only people who regularly visited this area either lived in one of the houses lining the street, or had business at the palace or the Bard's College. He noticed a large group of hooded strangers walk by, heading in the direction of the Blue Palace. They must have some business with the court, he thought absently, although he thought it odd that they were wearing hoods in the middle of the day; the heat must have been sweltering underneath them.

"About who exactly are you, Aeros?" Serana questioned.

"What do you mean?" he asked, not following. "You know who I am."

She shook her head. "That's not what I mean. "You're a Thane of Solitude, with your own manor and personal housecarl, a member of the Companions and the Arch-Mage of the College of Winterhold. You're also one the best swordsmen I've seen, with personal experience in war, and you seem to be well-known throughout Skyrim And back in Dragon Bridge, Julienne acted like you were some sort of living legend. So again, who are you?"

"Well," Aeros said slowly, rubbing the back of his head as he tried to figure out how he was going to explain everything. He should have known this would have come up sooner or later; Serana was extremely perceptive. He figured he might as well come clean and tell her the complete truth.

"I might also be Thane of the other eight holds as well...and I'm actually the Harbinger of the Companions…" he trailed off under Serana's stare. "All right, all right," he said, "I get it. I probably should have told you about all of this earlier. The truth is, I'm actually-" He stopped suddenly, as he noticed the same group of hooded travelers was now moving in their direction. Again he noticed that they hadn't removed their hoods. Something about them…

One of them lunged forward suddenly, a dagger in his hand. Aeros pushed Serana out of the way. "ZUN!" he shouted, causing the dagger to fly out of the man's hand. The rest of the group surged forward now, drawing weapons. "Die, Dawnguard!" he heard one of them scream.

"FUS RO DAH!"

The vampires flew backwards from the force of his Shout, giving Serana and him some breathing room. He helped her to her feet before drawing his swords.

"You know," he said aloud, as he slowly advanced towards the vampires, "I really don't like being attacked right outside my house. Especially not when I'm trying hold a conversation. It tends to piss me off."

More than a few of the vampires backed away at the look in his eyes. They had been told that this was a weak and pathetic mortal, maybe stronger than most, but still prey. But what they found themselves facing instead, felt less like a mortal and more like a dragon. A very angry dragon.

Not all of them were afraid though. Having picked themselves off the ground, a handful of them foolishly charged forward, brandishing weapons and magic. Their charge spurred the others into action, and they followed close behind.

Aeros grinned savagely, and charged forward with a yell as he met the vampires head on.

The fight didn't last long. A few minutes later, the vampires were all dead, and Serana and Aeros stood breathing heavily. Although Serana had helped Aeros in fighting off the vampires, she had only taken down two or three of them. The rest had killed by Aeros, who had fought like a living whirlwind of death, effortlessly swinging and whirling his blades about him as he mercilessly cut down the vampires where they stood. As a result, Serana was the first to catch her breath. She straightened, and stared at Aeros wide-eyed.

"That...that was a Shout," she said in shock. "A Thu'um, like what the dragons and ancient Nord heroes used. How are you able to use it?"

Aeros sighed. "You're right," he said. "That was a Thu'um. I can use it because, well, because I'm Dragonborn. The last one, or one of the last, if the prophecies are to be believed."

"The Dragonborn?" Serana said in disbelief. "Isn't that-?"

"The hero with the soul of a dragon who's destined to fight the Alduin the World-Eater and stop him from destroying the world? Yep, that's me," he chuckled.

"That...that explains a lot," Serana said thoughtfully. A moment later though, she frowned and planted her hands on her hips. "But why haven't you mentioned this before?"

Aeros looked sheepish as he tried to come up with an explanation. "I don't know. I guess it just...never came up?" he concluded lamely, scratching his head in embarrassment.

Serana glared at him for a few more seconds, but she finally sighed and shook her head. If it was anyone else, she would have thought they were lying, but Aeros… Most likely, he was telling the truth. They had been so caught up in trying to find a way to stop her father that he had simply forgotten to tell her that he was Dragonborn.

"So, I'm guessing you got that Elder Scroll while trying to stop Alduin?" she asked.

"Yeah, I needed it to learn a Shout that would help me in my fight with him. But we can talk more on the way. We've got one Scroll, now we just need to find the other. Still no ideas on where to find your mother?"

"No," Serana sighed. "I've thought of everywhere she might possibly have hid, but they're all places my father would have looked long ago. Do you have any ideas?"

"Hmm…" Aeros thought about it. If he didn't want to be found by someone, where would he hide? "What about in Castle Volkihar?" he suggested.

"Wait...that almost makes sense!" Serana said excitedly. "There's a courtyard in the castle. I used to help her tend a garden there. All of the ingredients of our potions came from there. She used to say that my father couldn't stand the place. Too...peaceful."

"Isn't that pretty risky, staying around the castle?" Aeros asked. It was what he would do, but most of his friends seemed to think a lot of his ideas were crazy. Okay, so maybe a few of them hadn't turned out the way he planned...

"Oh, absolutely," Serana agreed. "But my mother's not a coward. That is...I don't actually think we'll trip over her there. But it's worth a look."

"They aren't exactly going to let us use the front door," Aeros pointed out.

"True," Serana smirked. "But I know a way we can get to the courtyard without arousing suspicion. There's an unused inlet on the northern side of the island that was used by the previous owners to bring supplies into the castle. An old escape tunnel exists there. I think that's our way in."

"A secret entrance into the castle? Sounds like fun. Let's get going then!" Aeros began walking purposefully down the street towards the city gates.

"Are you sure you know where you're going?" Serana asked. "You've only been to the castle once."

"Of course I know where I'm going!" Aeros said confidently. "I'm the Dragonborn, remember?"

Serana smiled to herself and couldn't help but poke fun at his self-assured attitude. "You mean the Dragonborn who couldn't remember where he left an Elder Scroll?" She burst out into laughter when he stumbled and almost fell.

"Alright, Miss Smartass, let's just get out of here and find that last Elder Scroll." Serana's laughter subsided into giggling at his attempt to maintain his dignity.

Leaving Solitude turned out to be a little more difficult than they had thought, as General Tullius had some questions about why one of his legates was involved in a fight in the streets. Eventually though, Serana and Aeros managed to talk their way out of things and actually leave the city.

* * *

\- Castle Volkihar -

Aeros actually did manage to remember the way, and by the next morning they once again found themselves facing the bridge to Castle Volkihar.

Aeros cautiously surveyed their surroundings, wary of any lookouts or sentries that might alert the rest of the castles to their presence. Fortunately, it seemed that they were alone. Even the watchtower built next to the dock was deserted.

"All right, Serana, we're here," he said. "Now how do we get in?"

"This way," Serana said. "We'll need to go along the side of the castle, that way no one sees us. Come on!" She started running along the beach. Aeros shrugged and followed her.

The two of them ran along the beach for a short period of time before finally they saw the abandoned inlet up ahead. Spotting something, Aeros pulled Serana back around the corner just in time. An arrow ricocheted off of the rock wall behind where she had just been standing.

"Thanks," she said, smiling at him.

"No problem." Aeros told her, looking around the corner. "Besides, I'm sure you'll return the favor sooner or later."

"Knowing you?" She smirked. "It'll probably be sooner rather than later."

"Hey!" Aeros complained. "I can take care of myself! Most of the time… Anyways, it looks like there's four skeletons up there, the same kind we ran into at Dimhollow. Obviously, we don't have the element of surprise anymore, and we can't sneak past them."

"So that only leaves one option doesn't it?" Serana said knowingly. "Charging in and causing as much chaos and destruction as possible." She laughed, shaking her head. "Honestly, I think you like to do it this way."

"Well, this armor isn't all that great for sneaking," Aeros admitted, chuckling. "Besides, where's the fun in sneaking past all of them?"

"You Nord men are always the same," Serana said with mock severity. "Always preferring to attack head on. It's a good thing you have us Nord women to drag your asses out of the fire." She grinned. "Well? What are we waiting for? Let's go kill some skeletons!" Aeros laughed and charged in after her.

Dispatching one skeleton, Aeros saw Serana finishing off another just up ahead. Noticing something out of the corner of his eye, Aeros turned and saw a skeleton aiming an arrow at Serana. "FO KRAH DIIN!" he shouted. The skeleton was blown apart by a blast of cold. The final skeleton's bones were shattered by several well placed ice spikes from Serana.

"That's done then," Aeros said, sheathing his swords. "Now where's this secret entrance that you mentioned?"

"It's up these stairs," Serana said, pointing. "There's a door that leads into the castle's undercroft, but we'll have to be careful down there. No one ever goes down there, so there's likely all kind of nasty things living there."

The two of them opened the door into the undercroft and entered cautiously. The only sign of life that they saw was a skeever, but it ran away at the sight of them. The two of them moved quietly, mindful of the noise they made. Opening the door at the end of the hall, Aeros almost gagged at the stench that assaulted his nose.

"The old water cistern." Serana explained. "On some days this place would smell just...be glad you weren't here then." She walked past him into the room.

It used to smell worse than this? Aeros thought in disbelief. Sometimes he wished that his werewolf blood didn't make his nose so keen… Wait, was there something else underneath the smell of sewer?

"Hold on, Serana!" he said. "There's something else down here besides us."

"Like what? There's nothing down here except for a few skeevers." As if the gods themselves wanted to prove her wrong, right as the words left Serana's mouth, a trio of death hounds and a crazed vampire charged around the corner, heading directly for her.

Without batting an eyelash, Serana spun around and attacked with spell and dagger. The fight, if it could be called that, only lasted a few seconds, and by the end, Serana stood surrounded by bodies with not a single scratch on her.

Aeros whistled in appreciation, impressed. "Remind me to never make you angry."

Serana laughed. "Come on, the switch for the bridge is up here."

Following her up the stairs, Aeros watched as she pulled the lever for the bridge. The lever moved slowly, its gears rusted with age.

"Did you spend a lot of time down here?" Aeros asked as they made their way back down the stairs. "You seem to really know your way around."

"I liked to explore," Serana explained. "My parents almost never let me off the island, so yeah, I poked around down here a lot. It was a little...quieter...back then. Guess a little vampire girl was enough to scare off the rats."

"It sounds like you were a weird little kid," Aeros said in amusement.

"I was," Serana, smiling slightly. "But I think I turned out okay."

"More than okay, I'd say," Aeros said in agreement. He frowned suddenly. "But that must have been lonely, being by yourself so much."

"It was," Serana said sadly. "But when you grow up the way I did, you get used to it.

"Why didn't your parents try to help?"

Well, you've already met my father and seen how obsessed he is. My mother wasn't a whole lot better, by the end. There wasn't really anyone else I could talk to about these kind of things, so I learned to take care of myself." She smiled. "That's why I like travelling with you. Having someone else there, someone who actually cares...it makes things less lonely. But...what about you?"

"What about me?" Aeros asked, confused by what she meant.

"Do you ever get lonely?" Serana clarified. "I know you're famous all across Skyrim, but are there...people in your life?"

Aeros looked pensive as he collected his thoughts. "Well, back when I first arrived here in Skyrim, I didn't know anybody and didn't have anyone I could call a friend," he answered. "I think that changed...oh, about ten minutes after Alduin attacked Helgen. Nowadays, I have friends all across Skyrim."

"What are they like?" Serana asked, curious about the kind of people Aeros would be friends with.

"Well, you've met some of them, at the College and in Solitude. As for some of the others…" He told her about some of his friends in the Companions and the Legion, and a few others, all of whom sounded rather eccentric.

Serana had to laugh at some of the people he described, and the trouble that they and Aeros got into. Now that she thought about it, they sounded exactly like the kind of people Aeros would be friends with. "What about loved ones?" she asked. "I'm sure someone like you must have a lover of some sort or is already married." She wasn't sure why she was asking this, but for some mysterious reason, she felt apprehensive as to what his answer might be.

He shook his head. "No, not really. That's not to say I've been completely celibate. I've been involved with a few women since I arrived here, but things just never really lasted. As for marriage… I guess it's just never been something I've really thought about. I have no doubt that if I were to go out and buy an Amulet of Mara, I'd receive numerous offers, but…" He shrugged. "I don't know. I guess you could say I just haven't really found the right person yet. Besides, I'd rather ask them to marry me in some other way than just putting myself out there on the market like a slab of meat.

Hearing his reply, Serana felt hopeful, although she couldn't say why. Trying to distract herself from such thoughts, she asked, "What about your family? Do you ever visit them?"

Aeros stopped, and slowly shook his head. "No. I don't have one," he said quietly. "Not anymore."

He didn't say anything else, and looked away, but not before Serana caught a glimpse of the look in his eyes. She was taken back by how much pain and regret she saw there. It was a haunting look. What could have happened to his family to give him such a look? she wondered.

Deciding to change the subject, Serana pointed out the passageway to their left. "We need to take a left up here. This is one of those weird double-barred security measures that my father put in when he got more paranoid. If we follow that path around, we can find the switch for the other half of the bridge."

Aeros nodded, the haunting look gone and his expression back to normal. Following Serana's guidance, they made their way further down the passageway, passing through what could only be where the leftovers from the grand hall were dumped. The room was filled with bones, some bleached white, others still stained with blood. Climbing a flight of stairs, they found the room with the lever. Easily dispatching the giant spider that had decided to call the room home, Aeros pulled the second switch. Through a barred window, they could see the other half of the bridge drop, granting access to the passage beyond.

Returning to where the bridge, they crossed over to the other side. Once across, they began walking up the passageway, Aeros leading the way in case they ran into any trouble. As they neared the end of the passage, Aeros could see a door up ahead.

"This passage leads directly to the courtyard," Serana said from behind him. "Just head for the door."

The door was stuck from long years of disuse, but Aeros managed to get it open with only a little effort. Dust rained down on their heads as they stepped outside.

"We've made it to the courtyard-" Serana started to say but stopped as she saw what lay before them. What had once been a beautiful garden was now only a pale shadow of what it had once been. All around them lay withered plants and trees, most of them dead or dying. Moss covered almost every surface, and even one of the towers had collapsed. All in all, the place looked dead and in serious disrepair. The only thing still growing besides the moss was nightshade. For some reason Aeros couldn't explain, there was a giant sundial in the center of the courtyard that looked relatively untouched.

"Oh no… What happened to this place?" Serana whispered. "Everything's been torn down and the whole place looks…dead. It's like we're the first to set foot here in centuries." She walked slowly around the courtyard, taking in the desolation, before finally coming to a stop in front of the remains of what must have once been a doorway leading further into the castle, now blocked off by a pile of boulders and debris.

"This used to lead into the castle's grand hall," she said. "From the looks of it, my father must have had it sealed up after my mother fled with me and the Elder Scrolls." She gazed around sadly. "I used to walk through here after evening meals, you know. It was beautiful once."

She knelt down in front of a small walled off area filled with various plants. "This was my mother's garden. It...do you know how beautiful something can be when it's been tended by a master for hundreds of years? It used to be filled with all sorts of flowers and alchemical ingredients My mother would have hated to see it like this." The sorrow in her voice was heartbreaking. Aeros wanted nothing more than to reach out and hold her comfortingly, but something made him hesitate.

She looked over the ruined courtyard once more. She frowned as her gaze fell on the mysterious sundial in the center. "Wait…" she said, getting up and walking back towards Aeros as she examined it. "Something's wrong with the moondial here. Some of the crests are missing and the dial is askew. I didn't even know the crests could be removed. Maybe my mother's trying to tell us something? The moondial definitely wasn't like this the last time I saw it."

Moondial? Is that what this is? Now that he thought about it, that made a lot more sense for a castle full of vampires than a sundial.

"Well, let's see if we can find the missing crests then," he said. "If your mother is trying to tell us something, this is the only way to find out."

Serana nodded in agreement, and they split up to search for the missing crests. As he found the first missing piece half submerged in a pond, Aeros asked: "What's so special about the moondial?"

"Well, as far as I'm aware, it's the only one in existence," Serana told him, searching behind a bush. "The previous owners of the castle had a sundial in the courtyard, and obviously that didn't appeal to my mother. She persuaded an elven artisan to make some improvements. You can see the plates that show the phases of the moons, Masser and Secunda."

"Does it even work?"

"That's the thing...what's the point of a moondial? I always wondered why she didn't just have the whole thing ripped out. But she loved it. I don't know...I suppose it's like having a piece of art, if you're into that sort of thing."

"Ah ha!" Aeros exclaimed, "Here's the last one."

Together, they gathered up the three missing crests and placed them in the right slots. Stepping back, they felt the ground begin to rumble slightly as the moondial rotated seemingly on its own. As it did, segments of the stone around it sank down and formed stairs leading underneath the moondial. Aeros glanced at Serana questioningly; she shrugged in response. Together, they carefully descended the now revealed stairwell. At the very bottom of the stairs, they found a wooden door. Praying it wasn't locked, Aeros tried opening it. The door swung open, revealing an old tunnel.

"Very clever, mother. Very clever," Serana said, obviously just as impressed as Aeros. "I've never been in these tunnels before, but if I had to bet I'd guess they run right under the courtyard and into the tower ruins. Well, at least we're getting closer. Come on."

The tunnel quickly ran into a dead end though, with nothing but a blank wall at the end. Or at least, that's what they thought until Serana noticed a pull chain off to the side. As they pulled it, the wall in front of them slowly lowered, letting out a rush of stale, dusty air.

"Just what was my mother up to in here?" Serana wondered aloud, puzzled by all of the secrecy.

"Do you know this place?" Aeros asked.

She shook her head. "No, not really. The tower collapsed shortly after we moved into the castle, and for some reason it was never repaired. I had always just assumed that the it was completely destroyed on the inside as well. My mother kept this a secret, even from me. If she went to such lengths to hide this from everyone, she must have been up to something she thought was dangerous or didn't want anyone to find out about. If that's the case, we'll need to be careful. I don't know what might be in these tunnels, or what kind of traps my mother might have left behind."

They continued onward through the passageway and into the depths of the tower, running into enemies here and there. Mostly skeletons, with the occasional gargoyle, it wasn't anything they couldn't handle, although it did slow their pace some. But after entering a room and having almost every single statue in there explode into gargoyles, Aeros turned to Serana with an annoyed expression.

"Did your mother like to keep gargoyles here? Because they are really starting to get on my nerves." The gargoyles themselves weren't a problem, it was the fact that he couldn't tell which ones were alive and which ones were actually statues until they burst out of their stony shells and tried to kill him.

She shook her head. "Not that I ever saw. Although she did have a bit of a thing for magical constructs." She must have seen the look on Aeros's face, because she quickly clarified. "Not...not what you're thinking. She just found them fascinating."

The two of them looked for a way forward, but discovered that the room was seemingly a dead end. They searched the room for clues about where Serana's mother had gone, but found nothing. "Is this it?" Aeros asked.

Serana frowned. "No, I don't think we've reached the top yet. There should be at least one more level above us. I bet there's some kind of secret passage around here."

They looked around some more, but couldn't find any hidden levers or switches. Just when they were about to give up, Aeros noted something odd about the fireplace.

"I just noticed," he said. "Why is there wood in the fireplace over there? A vampire doesn't exactly need to feel warmth, so there's no need for wood for a fire."

"That's a good point," Serana said thoughtfully, giving the fireplace a more careful inspection. "And even if it were necessary, why are these two candlesticks here? They seem out of place." She reached out and pulled on one. To their surprise, it pulled out slightly, before rotating until it was completely upside down. Immediately, they heard a loud rumbling as the fireplace slid back and moved out of the way.

"Leave it to my mother...always smarter than I gave her credit for," Serana muttered.

Climbing the stairs hidden behind the false fireplace, the two of them found themselves facing another door. Pushing it open, they found themselves entering what could only be described as a laboratory of some sort. There were numerous shelves and workbenches scattered around the room with various projects and alchemical components lying abandoned. One corner of the room seemed to be dedicated to a library of sorts. In the center of the room was a strange construct, a giant circle formed of multiple smaller rings that looked to be almost separate from the rest of the floor. A flight of stairs connected to what appeared to be a second level, although Aeros couldn't get a good glimpse of what was up there, beyond an unusual basin near the edge of the balcony overlooking the collection of stone rings..

"Look at this place," Serana said in shock. "This has to be it! I knew she was deep into necromancy. I mean, she taught me everything I know. But I had no idea she had a setup like this." She walked over to a nearby table with bones scattered all over it. "Look at all this. She must have spent years collecting all these components."

She turned to examine the strange circle in the center of the room, but was unable to make any more sense of it than Aeros. "And what's this thing? I'm not sure about the circle, but it's obviously...something."

She looked back up at Aeros. "Come on, let's take a look around. There has to be something around here that'll tell us where's she's gone," she said as she started rifling through the contents of the table.

"What exactly are we looking for?" Aeros asked, as he examined what was laying on another table. It appeared to be something related to soul gems, with a number of soul gems of different sizes scattered across the surface, as well as some faded notes about their compatibility and resilience for some kind of spell or experiment.

"My mother was meticulous about her research," Serana told him. "If we can find her notes, we might be able to find some hints in there. I remember she used to keep a journal. If I remember correctly, it was a small, red, leather-bound book. See if you can dig it up."

Aeros nodded and started looking for the journal. He tried checking the tables and shelves first, but found nothing. Deciding to check the small library, he finally managed to find it on one of the bookshelves, hidden in the very back behind several large volumes detailing the realms of Oblivion. He walked over to where Serana was going through various alchemical materials.

"Hey, I think I found your mother's notes," he said, catching her by surprise.

"You did?" she asked excitedly. "Let me see them." He handed her the small, red journal he had found.

As she looked through it, Aeros read over her shoulder. "What's this 'Soul Cairn' that she mentions?" he asked. He had never heard of it before, even at the College.

"I only know what she told me. She had a theory about soul gems. That the souls inside them don't just vanish when they're used...they end up in the Soul Cairn."

"Why would she care where used souls went?" It seemed like a waste of time. When a soul gem was used, the energy of the soul contained within was consumed to power whatever spell or enchantment the mage was trying to create. As far as he knew, the soul didn't go anywhere afterwards, it just dissipated. Or at least, that was the case with normal soul gems. Black soul gems on the other hand… He had once heard that more than just the soul's energy was trapped within, some said a person's consciousness was too. That was one of the main reasons why he never used black soul gems himself, preferring to use regular "white" soul gems instead.

"The Soul Cairn is home to very powerful beings known as the Ideal Masters," Serana explained. "Necromancers send them souls, and receive powers of their own in return. From the sounds of it, my mother spent a lot of time trying to contact them directly, to travel to the Soul Cairn itself."

"Don't worry," Aeros told her. "If she made it there, we'll find her."

"I hope so," Serana sighed. "It looks like that circle in the center of the room is definitely some kind of portal. If I'm reading this right, there's a formula that should give us safe passage into the Soul Cairn."

"What do we need?"

"Let's see. According to this, we need a handful of soul gem shards, some finely ground bone meal, a good bit of purified void salts… Oh...damn it…"

"What's wrong?" he asked. Were they missing something?

"We're also going to need a sample of her blood," Serana said. "Which...if we could get that, we wouldn't even be trying to do this in the first place."

"You're her daughter," he pointed out. "Don't you share some of her blood?" 

"Hmmm," Serana pursed her lips thoughtfully. "That might just work. We'd better hope that's good enough. Mistakes with these kind of portals can be...gruesome. Anyway, enough of that. Let's get started."

"Are we sure all the ingredients are here?" he asked.

"Definitely," she assured him. "Knowing my mother, she would have made sure to keep plenty of extra around in case she needed it."

It took a while to gather all the components, as they had to search through all of the other alchemical ingredients just to find them. Eventually though, they found everything they needed and placed them in the basin on the balcony that served as the portal vessel.

"Then the rest is up to me," Serana said, taking a deep breath. "Are you ready to go? I'm not entirely sure what this thing is going to do when I add my blood."

"I'm ready," Aeros said. "But before we go, I want to ask you something first, if that's all right?"

"Of course. What is it?"

"What will you do if we find your mother?" he asked hesitantly.

Serana sighed, and shook her head. "I've been asking myself the same thing since we came back to the castle. The truth is, I don't know. She was so sure of what we did to my father, I couldn't help but go along with her. I never thought of the cost…"

"That sounds pretty selfish of her."

"She wasn't always like that. But I think you're right. She was practically smirking when we left home. Almost like she was proud of herself. Like she didn't just want to stop my father...she wanted to stick it to him too."

"We won't know until we find her," he reminded her.

"Yeah...yeah, you're right," Serana said. She gave him a wan smile. "I'm sorry, I just didn't expect anyone to care how I felt about her. Thank you."

He smiled back. "Hey, what are friends for? Come on, let's get that portal open."

Serana nodded. "All right, here goes." She carefully bit her own wrist and sprinkled a few drops of blood onto the mixture of ingredients. The basin flashed a brilliant purple as violet flames consumed the ingredients.

Immediately the whole room started to shake and was illuminated with a purplish light as the circle in the center started to spin. All of a sudden, intense rays of light shot through the center. Aeros and Serana both clutched at the railing for support as the shaking intensified.

"By the blood of my ancestors…" Serana breathed.

"By the gods…" Aeros echoed. This went far beyond any kind of magic he had seen, and he couldn't help but be awed.

As the rings spun faster and faster, parts of the stone started to float in the air and began forming steps from the landing down to the portal. As the portal opened, Aeros could actually see raw magicka drifting through the air.

"She actually did it...she created a portal to the Soul Cairn," Serana said in awe. "Incredible!"

When the portal finally stopped spinning, Aeros stood and let go of the railing. "Let's go," he said, before walking down the floating steps towards the center of the portal. But as he neared the center, he was overcome by an odd burning sensation, as if his very core was being basked in flames. Not only that, but he could feel something tugging at his soul, trying to tear it from his body. He hastily retreated back up the steps, away from the portal entrance.

"Are you all right?" Serana asked in concern. "That looked painful."

"It was," Aeros said truthfully, rubbing his arm, which had gotten the worse of whatever had just happened. Drawing on his magicka, he cast a small healing spell to help get rid of the after-effects. "What happened?" he asked. If they couldn't get through the portal...

Serana looked sheepish. "Now that I think about it...I should have expected that. Sorry. It's kind of hard to describe. The Soul Cairn is...well, hungry, for lack of a better word. It's trying to take your life essence as payment."

"Great, so there's no way in, then," Aeros muttered.

"That's not entirely true. There might be a way, but I don't think you're going to like it." She hesitated before continuing. "Vampires aren't counted among the living. I could probably go through there without a problem."

"Are you saying I need to become a vampire?" Aeros was unable to keep the dismay out of his voice.

"Not your first choice, I'd guess," Serana said. Aeros could hear the pain in her voice and immediately regretted what he had said.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to make it sound like that. It's just…" he tried to find the right words, "Most people I've met who were turned...they changed, and I mean in more than just their transition to a vampire. They began to lust for power and took pleasure in harming others. In a way, they remind me of the dov. You're one of the first vampires I've ever met there who isn't that way. I'm just worried that if I let you turn me into a vampire, I won't be me anymore. I'm sorry, but there has to be another way."

Serana's features softened in sympathy after hearing Aeros's fears. "I understand," she said. "There might be another way. We could just 'pay the toll' another way. It wants a soul, so we give it a soul. Yours."

"Aren't we trying to not kill me?" Aeros asked in disbelief. "In my experience, losing your soul pretty much results in certain death."

"My mother taught me a trick or two," Serana reassured him. "I could partially soul trap you, and offer the gem to the Ideal Masters. It might be enough to satisfy them. It would make you a bit weaker when we travel through the Soul Cairn, but we might be able to fix that once we're inside. Maybe."

"Those are my only two options?" Aeros asked. Neither was exactly what he would call appealing.

"I'm sorry," Serana said. "I wish I knew a better way, something that would be easier for you. Just know that...whatever path you choose, I won't think any less of you. Sometimes things just have to be done." She looked down. "I know that better than anybody."

Aeros knew there was only one choice, for him at least. "All right, soul trap me. We can't afford to waste time looking for another way.

"Are you sure?" Serana asked him uncertainly. "I'm willing to do it, but you need to think this through. You'll remain mortal, but you'll find yourself weakened inside the Soul Cairn."

"I'm sure," Aeros said without hesitation. "We need to find that Scroll."

"I know this is difficult for you," Serana said quietly. "I hope you trust me. I'd never do anything to hurt you."

"I know you wouldn't," Aeros assured her. "And I've said it before, I trust you completely." It was only as he said it that Aeros realized just how true that statement was.

"Thank you," Serana said, feeling a strange warmth in her chest. "Let's not waste any more time then. I promise to make this as painless as possible. Hold still." She carefully raised her hands, and cast the spell. As the spell took effect, Aeros could actually feel part of his soul being sucked out, and his body weakening.

"Are you all right?" Serana asked, studying his face intently. "You're not too weak?"

"I'm good," Aeros said. "A little weaker, but nothing I can't handle."

Serana stared at him for a little longer, before she nodded. "All right, let's go then. My mother must be waiting somewhere on the other side of that thing."

Aeros nodded, and together the two of them descended the steps and entered the portal. The room faded away and Aeros could feel something shift. The two of them stepped out into a world that couldn't be more different from the one they left behind.

"Is this...the Soul Cairn?"

* * *

Author's Notes: So it's been pointed out to me that it seems like I'm just retelling the questline, as I'm using the same dialogue as the game. I am aware of this, it's just that I actually enjoyed most of the dialogue from the DLC and didn't feel right completely changing it. I promise I'll use less of it from now on.

In regards to the banner that Serana noticed in Proudspire, that was Aeros's personal banner during the civil war, and it was a gift from the men he commanded. It looks something like this: art/Tribal-Dragon-2-44779759

Characters:

Jordis the Sword-Maiden: Housecarl of Solitude. I'll admit that her and Lydia remain my two favorite housecarls of the bunch. They've also had to put up the most with Aeros's antics out of all the housecarls

Traveller: The Traveller isn't really a specific character. Instead, he's a vampire randomly encountered throughout Skyrim. He tends to have this really annoying habit of popping up in towns and cities along with a bunch of vampire toadies and killing valuable NPC's, like smiths and shopkeepers.

Dragon Language:

Zun = Weapon (Disarm Shout)

Fus Ro Dah = Force Balance Push (Unrelenting Force Shout)

Fo Krah Diin = Frost Cold Freeze (Frost Breath Shout)


	7. Road to the Dawn 7

Road to the Dawn 7

"Is this...the Soul Cairn?" Aeros asked in disbelief. He wasn't sure what he had been expecting a place filled with the trapped souls of the dead to look like, but this was definitely not it. The place was dead, in all senses of the word. The few trees he could see were twisted and withered, and the ground itself looked completely barren. Off in the distance he could see several large towers with some kind of purple energy emanating from the top, beams of magicka shooting straight into the sky. All in all, not somewhere he would want to visit if he had a choice.

"Look at the sky," Serana whispered. "What kind of a place is this?"

Aeros glanced up and did a double take. He had been so focused on the landscape, he hadn't noticed what was perhaps the most disconcerting feature of the Soul Cairn. The sky was filled with dark, foreboding storm clouds as far as the eye could see. All except for the center. In the center of the sky lay a giant, black void that seemed to draw in the space around it, pulling it into nothingness.

Feeling queasy, he looked away from that hole in the sky. Looking out over the desolate landscape again, he asked Serana: "Do you know anything about this place?"

She shook her head. "Not really. Mostly just what my mother told me, although I've also studied a little bit on my own, but like I said, there's not much. What I have managed to learn is about the Soul Cairn's relationship with soul gems. I mentioned it before, but my mother had a theory that when something is trapped in a soul gem, and then the energy is used for an enchantment, the remnants are sent here."

"Any soul gem?" Aeros asked. Just how many souls were trapped here?

"Well, I think it's specifically the black ones. I don't know if the Soul Cairn takes just any leftovers."

"So only the souls of people," Aeros summed up. "Then does anything live here?"

Serana raised an eyebrow at him. "Look at this place," she said, motioning to the bleak place laid out before them. "Do you think anything would want to live here? The only things that can survive here are the Ideal Masters, the undead, and the souls themselves. Well, if you want to call that 'living.'"

"You keep mentioning these Ideal Masters. What are they? Should we be worrying about running into them?"

Serana shook her head again. "I don't think anyone's ever met the Ideal Masters. In fact, I'm not even sure anyone even knows what they look like. They could be underground, flying above us...They might be the ground. I have no idea."

"Then why are they collecting these souls?" he asked. Surely there had to be some kind of reason or purpose behind collecting so many souls?

She actually laughed a little at that, although it was a sardonic kind of laugh. "There's a lot of theories. Some say they feed on them like I feed on blood. Others think they use them as payment to some sort of higher power...almost like a currency, albeit a very strange form of currency. Whatever they do here, they've been harvesting for millennia. There's no telling how many souls are trapped here."

Aeros frowned. "Then why would a necromancer want to deal with them?" he asked. "It sounds like most of them wind up tricked by these Ideal Masters and end up trapped themselves."

"Look around you. There are some extremely powerful undead here, ones far more powerful than what you would typically find on Nirn. Even a necromancer as seasoned as my mother would be willing to spend years trying to gain access to them."

"Summon them you mean?" This was sounding more like conjuration than necromancy to him.

"Exactly. It's a lost art. Most necromancers just raise up whatever's nearby. A simple trick, really. Child's play. But bringing something from the Soul Cairn gives you something much more powerful."

"How do the necromancers communicate with them?"

"Well, that's usually the trick. It's possible to do it through a simple portal. But to finalize the deal, you have to travel here yourself...and most of them never come back. "

After hearing that, Aeros was presented with a very uncomfortable possibility. "Are you sure Valerica has the Elder Scroll?" he asked. If most necromancers wound up trapped here and turned into souls...

"No," Serana sighed, "but there's no way she would have left it in Tamriel. She wanted to get it as far away from my father as possible. I can't imagine a better place."

"And if she doesn't have it?" he had to ask.

"Then we find out where she hid it," Serana said simply. "If she's still alive...well, as alive as she was before. Or is now. Or...you know what I mean."

Aeros chuckled a bit at her floundering for words. "Why not just hide it in the Soul Cairn and then return?" he questioned. That seemed far more practical than hiding here and risking having your soul stolen by the Ideal Masters.

Serana shrugged. "Probably to avoid whatever my father would do to her if he could get his hands on her. Or maybe her plan was to come back, but she was stuck here. We won't know until we find her."

Aeros nodded, and glanced around again. "Let's move then. I feel like we're being watched, and I'd rather get out of here as soon as possible."

The two of them descended the floating steps and began walking down a broad path, their feet kicking up small clouds of dust as they walked. In the distance, they could see some sort of wall splitting the Soul Cairn in half. As they drew closer to the wall, they passed various unfortunate souls, too many to count. A few seemed to notice them, drawn by the presence of life in this place of death and despair. Some railed and raged against their fate, refusing to accept it, while others silently prayed to the gods or silently begged Aeros and Serana to help them. But most of the lost souls did not even notice their passing and stared vacantly into space, their spirits broken and all hope gone. Aeros

It was a depressing sight, and Aeros and Serana could feel the weight of it pressing down on them, but they both knew that there was nothing further they could do to help these spirits. Many of their bodies were likely long dead, and even if they saved some of them and brought them back through the portal, the majority would not survive long without a body, and the ones that did would be consigned to a fate of endless wandering, never being able to truly pass on. Forcing themselves to ignore the pitiful beings around them, Aeros and Serana pushed onwards.

They were just halfway between the portal and the giant walls dividing the realm when they encountered the first of the undead that Serana had spoken of. The number of souls had dwindled, and they had just begun to regain some of their spirits when all of a sudden, skeletal hands tore through the ground as almost a dozen skeletons pulled themselves from the earth. Oddly enough, the bones of these skeletons were pitch black, and there was a darkness of some kind hanging about them like a haze. Aeros wasn't sure if they had sensed that those passing overhead were not completely dead, or if they had been alerted by some force beyond his and Serana's perception, but didn't have time to wonder. Right now they had more important matters on their hands.

Aeros drew his swords and Serana her dagger as the skeletons fanned out around around them. Aeros and Serana put their backs against each other as they grimly saw that they had been completely surrounded.

"Are you sure you don't want to sit this one out?" Serana asked in concern, glancing over her shoulder at him. "If you're feeling weak right now, it's fine. I'll cover us."

Aeros laughed. "Now what kind of a man would I be if I made you do all the work while I just lazed about? Don't worry about me. It'll take more than losing a portion of my soul to put me down."

Serana couldn't help but smile at his attitude. "You're always so stubborn aren't you?" she laughed. Aeros just grinned in reply. The two of them charged headlong at the skeletons.

Even with him weakened, the denizens of the Soul Cairn weren't a match for Aeros and Serana and they quickly scattered the force of walking-bones. After pausing to catch their breath and make sure neither of them had sustained any injuries, they were on their way again.

After passing through the great walls, they encountered several more groups of undead, including several archers and spellcasters, but they crushed them just as easily as the first. Eventually a ruined fortress perched atop a hill appeared on the horizon, flanked on either side by two of the mysterious towers that Aeros had observed from the portal, both of which emanated magicka. Drawing closer, they could see some sort of barrier that prevented them from entering the fortress. It was as they climbed the steps to take a closer look at the barrier though, that Serana spotted something on the other side. Or rather, someone.

"Mother?" she called out. The woman turned to face them and Serana ran forward upon seeing her face, coming to a stop just before she reached the barrier. "Mother!"

"Maker...it can't be," Valerica said in disbelief. "Serana?!"

Aeros quietly stood a few steps behind Serana, not wishing to interrupt the long overdue reunion between mother and daughter. He examined the woman on the other side of the barrier, curious as to what Serana's mother was like. From what he could observe, he imagined she must have been quite beautiful in her younger years, but now, even with the immortality granted by her vampirism, she looked as if time weighed heavily upon her. He noted the familial resemblance in features between Serana and her, with high cheekbones and full lips, as well as the same raven black hair as Serana, although Valerica's was pulled back into two buns. But the resemblance ended there. While Serana had also inherited some of her father's features, that wasn't what Aeros was comparing. From what he could tell, Serana and Valerica were two very different kinds of people. Although she often hid it behind sarcasm and a sharp wit, Aeros knew that Serana was actually a kind and compassionate person, and her eyes always held a warmth to them. Valerica, on the other hand, seemed much more severe than her daughter, and her eyes possessed the cold and arrogant look that he so often associated with vampires, although he thought he detected a hint of motherly love for her daughter.

"Is it really you? I can't believe it!" Serana said in excitement. "How do we get inside? We have to talk."

But her mother ignored her questions and instead asked her own. "Serana? What are you doing here? Where's your father?" Her voice sharpened at the mention of Harkon.

"He doesn't know we're here," Serana reassured her. "I don't have time to explain."

Valerica didn't seem to hear her. "I must have failed," she muttered to herself. "Harkon's found a way to decipher the prophecy, hasn't he?"

"No, you've got it all wrong," Serana tried to explain. "We're here to stop him...to make everything right."

"We?" Valerica questioned. For the first time, she seemed to notice Aeros standing behind Serana. "Wait a moment, you've brought a stranger here? Have you lost your mind?" she snapped.

"No, you don't…" Serana tried to explain but Valerica wasn't listening anymore. She turned her full attention towards Aeros.

"You, come forward," she commanded imperiously. "I would speak with you."

Aeros approached slowly, coming to a stop next to Serana. Valerica looked him up and down, studying him intently. Aeros returned her gaze steadily. She sniffed in disdain when she saw the crossbow poking out from behind his back. "So how has it come to pass that a vampire hunter is in the company of my daughter?" she asked, her voice making it clear what she thought of that idea. She did not give Aeros the chance to answer, before continuing, "It pains me to think that you'd travel with Serana under the guise of her protector in an effort to hunt me down."

"It's not a ruse!" Aeros protested. "I actually want to keep her safe."

"Coming from one who murders for vampires as a trade, I find it hard to believe your intentions are noble," Valerica said with contempt, not believing him one bit. "Serana has sacrificed everything to prevent Harkon from completing the prophecy. I would have expected her to explain that to you."

"You think she hasn't explained that to me?" Aeros growled. "She's told me all about Harkon's mad plan, and how you and she tried to stop him. She also told me all about how you locked her away in a tomb for gods know how many years just to keep the Elder Scroll safe!"

"You think I'd have the audacity to place my own daughter in that tomb for protection of her Elder Scroll alone?" Valerica positively hissed. "The Scrolls are merely a means to an end. The key to the Tyranny of the Sun is Serana herself."

"What do you mean?" Aeros asked, taken aback.

"When I fled Castle Volkihar, I fled with two Elder Scrolls," she explained. "The Scroll I presume you found with Serana speaks of Auriel and his arcane weapon, Auriel's Bow. The second Scroll declares that 'The Blood of Coldharbour's Daughter will blind the eye of the Dragon.'"

"So how exactly does Serana fit in with all of this?" Aeros asked, not following.

"Like myself, Serana was a human once. We were devout followers of Lord Molag Bal. Tradition dictates the females be offered to Molag Bal on his summoning day. Few survive the ordeal. Those that do emerge as a pure-blooded vampire. We call such confluences the 'Daughters of Coldharbour.'"

"The Tyranny of the Sun requires Serana's blood?" Aeros asked in disbelief. If Harkon really desired to permanently blot out the sun… A feat like that, if it required the blood of a Daughter of Coldharbour, then… His mind reached a chilling conclusion.

"Now you're beginning to see why I wanted to protect Serana and why I kept the other Elder Scroll as far from her as possible," Valerica said.

"Are you saying Harkon means to kill Serana?" Aeros asked, feeling a chill run down his spine. "His own daughter?"

"If Harkon obtained Auriel's Bow and Serana's blood was used to taint the weapon, the Tyranny of the Sun would be complete. In his eyes, she'd be dying for the good of all vampires."

Aeros felt himself growing angry at the idea of anyone trying to hurt Serana, especially her own father. "I would never allow that to happen," he swore vehemently, his hands unconsciously clenching into fists.

"And how exactly do you plan on stopping him?" Valerica asked mockingly, noting the unusual response from this vampire hunter.

"I'll do whatever's needed," he told her bluntly. "If that means killing Harkon myself, so be it."

She snorted. "If you believe that, then you're an even bigger fool than I originally suspected. Don't you think I already weighed that option before I enacted my plans? Countless others have tried to before and failed."

"What about Serana's opinion in all of this?"

"You care nothing for Serana or our plight," she said harshly. "I don't know how you managed to enter the Soul Cairn, if you became one of us or not, but you're still a vampire hunter at heart. You're here because we're abominations in your mind. Evil creatures that need to be destroyed."

"I'm here because I have no desire to see my world become shrouded in eternal darkness at the hands of someone like Harkon," he snapped. "Serana believes in me, so why won't you?" No matter what he said, she seemed to have already written him off as some kind of heartless brute intent only on killing vampires, to his growing ire. He had long ago grown tired of people forcing their expectations on him and trying to fit him into a neat, little box that they could understand. People had tried to do so far too often when he been chosen as Kodlak's successor or when he had been named Arch-Mage, or even when he first became Dragonborn. He was his own person, and had his own reasons for doing things, and he didn't give a damn if he went against the expectations of others in doing so.

"Serana?" Valerica said, turning to face her daughter again. "This stranger aligns himself with those that would hunt you down and slay you like an animal, yet I should entrust you to him?"

Now Serana seemed to be the one who was angry. "This 'stranger' has done more for me in the brief time I've known him than you've done in centuries!" she positively snarled. "He freed me from that tomb you locked me away in, and has been by my side this entire time trying to help me stop Father. What have you done in all that time that even comes close?" Valerica looked stunned, and even Aeros was taken aback by her reaction.

"How dare you!" Valerica said indignantly. "I gave up everything I care about to protect you from that fanatic you call a father!"

"Yes, he's a fanatic...he's changed," Serana said sadly, her anger gone. "But he's still my father. Why can't you understand how that makes me feel?"

"Oh, Serana. If only you'd open your eyes. The moment your father discovers your role in the prophecy, that he needs your blood, you'll be in terrible danger."

Serana's anger flared up again at her mother's words. "So to protect me you decide to shut me away from everything I cared about? You never asked me if hiding me in that tomb was the best course of action, you just expected me to follow you blindly. Both of you were obsessed with your own paths. Your motivations might have been different, but in the end, I'm still just a pawn to you, too," She said the last part bitterly, seeming to realize just how true that was.

"I want us to be a family again," she went on. "But I don't know if we can ever have that. Maybe we don't deserve that kind of happiness. Maybe it isn't for us. But we have to stop him. Before he goes too far. And to do that we need the Elder Scroll."

Valerica actually seemed taken aback. "I'm sorry, Serana," she said slowly. "I didn't know...I didn't see. I've allowed my hatred of your father to estrange us for too long. Forgive me. If you want the Elder Scroll, it's yours."

She looked at Aeros again. "Your intentions are still somewhat unclear to me. But for Serana's sake, I'll assist you in any way that I can."

Aeros nodded in thanks, knowing it was the closest he was going to get to an actual apology. "Do you have the Elder Scroll on you?" he asked.

She nodded. "Yes. I've kept it safely secured here ever since I arrived. However, I've been imprisoned here by the Ideal Masters and am unable to leave." She motioned to the magical barrier separating them. "Fortunately, you're in a position to breach the barrier that surrounds these ruins."

"What do we need to do?" Aeros and Serana both asked at the same time.

"You need to locate the tallest of the rocky spires that surround these ruins. At their bases, the barrier's energy is being drawn from the unfortunate souls that have been exiled here. Destroy the Keepers that are tending them, and it should bring the barrier down."

"Actually, that brings up something I've been wondering about," Aeros said. "And I'm sure Serana would like to know as well. How did you end up trapped here?"

Valerica sighed. "That's a long story. You see, when I entered the Soul Cairn, I had intended to strike a bargain with the Ideal Masters, the custodians of this place."

"What was the bargain?"

"I requested refuge in the Soul Cairn, and in exchange, I would provide the Ideal Masters the souls that they craved. If I had foreseen the value they placed on my own soul, I would never have come here."

"They tricked you," Aeros guessed.

She nodded. "The Ideal Masters unleashed their Keepers and sent them to destroy me. Fortunately, I was able to hold them at bay and retreat into these ruins."

"But you became trapped."

"Unfortunately, yes. Since the Keepers weren't able to claim my soul, they had their minions construct a barrier that I would never be able to breach."

"You've been imprisoned here for all this time?" he asked incredulously. He knew she was immortal, but to be trapped in a place like this for all that time...

"Time has very little meaning to me," Valerica said with a knowing smirk, as if she knew what he had been thinking. "Consequently, it has little meaning to the Ideal Masters as well. I suppose you could call this the ultimate waiting game, each watching the other to see which will give in".

"Well, it looks like that waiting game is finally over," said Serana. "We'll be back once all the Keepers are taken care of. Come on, Aeros."

Not even waiting for an answer, she spun around and descended the fortress steps. As Aeros turned to follow her, Valerica spoke up again. "One more word of warning," she said. "There is a dragon that calls itself Durnehviir roaming the Cairn. Be wary of him. The Ideal Masters have charged him with overseeing the Keepers, and he will undoubtedly intervene if he perceives you as a threat."

"Thanks for the heads up," Aeros replied.

"Oh, and Aeros, was it?"

"Yes?" he asked, turning back around.

"Keep my daughter safe."

He nodded. "Don't worry. I will."

As soon as they were out of sight of the barrier, Serana leaned against Aeros as all of her energy seemed to sap out of her. Aeros wrapped an arm around her for support, and helped her sit down.

"Are you all right?" he asked. He had no doubt that her reunion with her mother hadn't gone as she had expected, so he could understand if she was still a little wound up after their confrontation

"Yeah," Serana sighed. "Just a bit drained is all."

"From talking with your mother? You seemed to hold your own pretty well."

"Thanks. But talking to my mother...I feel somehow relieved. All those things have been building for a while. You have no idea how long I've wanted to say that to her."

"Why did you ever agree to her plan then, if that was how you felt?" he asked.

"Look, I loved my father, but when he found that prophecy, it became his life. Everything else, even me and my mother...we just became clutter. I was close with my mother, but she just kept feeding me her opinions of him, and eventually I started believing them."

"Yeah, your mother didn't exactly sound too too fond of your father," Aeros said with a small smile.

"The moment we gave ourselves to Molag Bal, things got really icy between them. They were both drunk on power, and pulling in different directions. Then he found that prophecy, and...that was it." She trailed off dejectedly.

"And you were caught in the middle," Aeros guessed.

She nodded bitterly. "I was. Honestly, it took me up until now to figure out that my mother was just as bad as he was. He was obsessed with power, she was obsessed with seeing him fail. It was just so...toxic. Maybe I could have seen this coming. If I had, we could all be better off now."

"You shouldn't blame yourself," Aeros told her. "There was nothing you could have done."

Serana rounded on him. "You don't know what it's like, coming from a family like that!" she told him angrily. "Eventually everything just tumbles down to you."

She knew she shouldn't take her anger out on him. Aeros had done nothing wrong, and was just trying to help her, but she felt like if she didn't direct her anger at something, she would completely fall apart. She expected him to grow angry or hurt at her harsh words, but to her surprise, he didn't.

"You're right," he said simply. "I don't know what it's like growing up like that. But I do know what it's like to find yourself in a situation where there was absolutely nothing you could do, and yet you can't help but think 'Could I have stopped this? Was there something I could have done differently?'" There was a note of suppressed pain and anguish in his voice, one that ran deeper than anything her words could have caused. He looked her in the eyes, a gentle look of understanding in them. "And I know better than anyone that hating yourself won't change a damn thing."

"Don't blame yourself for something you couldn't stop, Serana," he said quietly. "Instead, focus on what you can stop, here and now, and help me make sure that Harkon doesn't complete his Tyranny of the Sun."

Serana was quiet for a while, her thoughts in turmoil as she thought about what Aeros had just said. Finally, she nodded, and smiled wanly up at him. "You're right," she said. "Thank you."

She leaned against him and laid her head on his shoulder. "I'm glad you're here," she said in a small voice. "I don't think I could be doing this alone." Aeros nodded in understanding, and neither of them said anything for a while.

"Aeros?"

"Yes?"

"Could we could stay like this for just a little longer?" she asked hesitantly. She felt his head move in an almost imperceptible nod.

"Yeah, we can stay like this for a while more." They sat there in a comfortable silence, neither feeling the need to speak, as they took the opportunity to take a small break from the turmoil and stress of the past couple weeks, and simply take some comfort in each other's presence.

Neither of them knew how long they sat there, but finally they knew that they could not put things off any longer. Aeros stood, gently dislodging Serana's head from its place on his shoulder. "Come on," he said, offering Serana a hand up. "We should get going. We need to find those Keepers and free your mother." Serana sighed wistfully, but took his hand anyways.

The two of them set off for the nearest of the tall spires that Valerica had pointed out. The distance to the tower was deceiving, but at least they reached its base. At the spire's base, a number of souls were bound, their energy slowly being drained to help maintain the barrier. The area around the base was filled with various boneman and other undead guarding the unfortunate souls. At Aeros and Serana's approach, they immediately became hostile and attempted to stop them from reaching the base of the spire, but they were quickly dispatched. As the last wrathman fell to the ground, Aeros turned to Serana questioningly. "Do you think one of those was the Keeper?" he started to ask, but was interrupted by a resounding thud, and the sound of heavy footfalls.

They both turned and saw a figure the size of a giant approaching them, wearing a full set of dragonplate armor and wielding a dragonbone shield and mace.

"No Aeros, I think that's the Keeper." Serana said with all her usual sense of bad humor.

Aeros shot her an exasperated look, but still grinned in spite of himself. Looking back at the new approaching foe, his grin only grew. "Finally," he said with an edge of excitement to his voice, "a real challenge." Without any more thought, he charged the Keeper, both swords whirling.

Aeros and the Keeper clashed violently, dragonbone blades colliding with dragonbone shield and mace. The two bone-clad figures strained against for several heartbeats, each striving to overpower the other. Eventually though, the Keeper's height and raw strength began pushing Aeros back and forcing him to give ground. Realizing he wasn't going to win in a fight of pure strength, he disengaged, shoving the Keeper away from him and jumping back a few feet. As he jumped, the Keeper swung its mace at his head and he was forced to duck. He just barely avoided it, the mace swishing just over his head.

Before the Keeper could re-engage him, Aeros used the time to study his opponent. All right, so brute strength is out, he thought. And I can't hold an extended battle because it's likely I'll eventually get sloppy and get hit by that giant mace of its. And I've got the feeling one hit from that thing is all that's needed. Think! What can I use against it, what weakness can I take advantage of?

As he thought frantically, he again noticed the Keeper's sheer size and its dragonplate armor. Something that big has got to be slower than me. But I know from personal experience how good of a job that armor does protecting me from attacks. Wait, that's it! I know exactly how well that armor protects its wearer, which means I know exactly where its weak points are! Aeros grinned savagely as a plan started to form.

As the Keeper charged towards him, Aeros let out a yell and charged at it head on. As he drew within striking range, the Keeper swung its mace at him. Aeros expertly sidestepped the blow and drew closer. The Keeper pulled its shield in front of it to block his incoming attack, but no attack came. As he got close, Aeros fell to his knees and slid underneath the monster's legs. As he came out behind it, he spun around and, putting all his strength into it, rammed one of his swords through a gap in the Keeper's armor. He felt something break, and for a few moments, the thing swayed, before collapsing with an earth-shaking crash.

The Keeper didn't move, and within a few seconds, the body faded and disappeared entirely, leaving behind nothing but the dragonbone mace. Upon the defeat of its Keeper, the spell binding the souls that powered the barrier was broken. As the souls scattered, the magicka powering the spire faded before disappearing entirely.

"Nice job!" Serana said from behind him. Aeros turned to face her as he sheathed his swords.

"You could have helped," he complained jokingly.

"But you looked like you were having so much fun with your new friend." Serana replied, smirking. "It's a shame he had to leave all of a sudden."

Aeros shook his head at their conversation, chuckling. "Well, at least that's one down. Two more to go." He glanced slyly over at Serana. "And I'm sure that I won't have to deal with them myself this time," he added with a smirk.

"Only if you stop pouting like a little kid without their sweet roll," Serana said sweetly. She burst out into a fit of the giggles as Aeros sputtered indignantly.

Determined to end this as quickly as possible, the two of them set off for the next of the spires. Together they managed to finish off the remaining two Keepers, although the bow-wielding one gave them some trouble, as they had to avoid multiple of the potentially deadly shots. Finally though, all three Keepers had been defeated.

Aeros sheathed his swords, wincing slightly. He might have avoided any serious injuries in their fights, but he had no doubts he would have some impressive bruises the next day. Those Keepers had hit hard!

"Come on," Serana said. "The barrier should be gone now. Let's head back."

"Alright," Aeros said in agreement. He didn't move though, and instead seemed to be searching the sky.

"What is it?" Serana asked, curious.

"I'm not quite sure," he admitted. "It's just...your mother warned us about the dragon Durnehviir, and how he would come after us if we attacked the Keepers. But so far, I haven't seen or even heard any sign of him."

"And you don't like that," Serana guessed, understanding now.

He nodded. "I don't know. Maybe I'm just being paranoid. It just leaves me with a bad feeling…"

He shook his head and flashed Serana a grin. "Never mind that. Come on, let's go get that Elder Scroll."

Valerica was waiting for them when they returned, standing in front of the fortress's doors. "You managed to destroy all three Keepers?" she said as they approached. "Very impressive. I see I have underestimated you, mortal."

"You're not the first. Are you able to give us the Scroll now?" Aeros asked somewhat impatiently. The barrier was gone for now, but he didn't want to wait and see how long it would take the Ideal Masters to put it back.

"Yes. Please, follow me. And keep watch for Durnehviir. With the barrier down, he is almost certain to investigate." She led the two of them through the giant doors and into the boneyard beyond. They walked through the giant courtyard, ignoring the piles of bones all around them.

Serana paused suddenly. "Wait...I hear something," she said, right before the sound of wingbeats filled the air, followed by a dragon's roar.

"It's Durnehviir...he's here!" Valerica cried. "Defend yourselves!"

The undead dragon alighted on a tower at the opposite end of the courtyard, but before Aeros or Serana were even able to think of firing at him with magic or crossbow, the sky shook with his Thu'um.

"DIIL QOTH ZAAM!" All around them the ground erupted as skeletal hands shot into the air.

"Shit," Aeros grumbled, his swords in hand and ready to be used. "More of these guys?"

All around them, bonemen, mistmen, and wrathmen were climbing out of the ground. They hadn't been much of an issue previously for Aeros and Serana, but there was a lot more now than what they had faced before. Also, although he didn't let Serana know it, the loss of part of his soul and his fights with the Keepers were finally taking their toll on Aeros.

Regardless, the two of them charged forward, and were soon carving a path through the crowd of undead. As the last skeleton fell, Durnehviir took to the skies again.

Oh no, you don't!" Aeros growled. Bracing himself, he took a deep breath.

"JOOR ZAH FRUL!" he shouted at the airborne dragon. Durnehviir shuddered at the unexpected Shout and as his wings grew heavy, he had no choice but to land. He landed in the middle of the boneyard, and immediately lunged forward as he tried to bite Aeros in two.

Aeros dodged out of the way and counter-attacked with all of his strength. His blade cut through the dragon's tough scales, but he was forced to avoid yet another blow before he could land a second attack. Weakened as he was, his reflexes were slow, and he might have gotten seriously hurt if it wasn't for Serana and Valerica barraging the undead dragons with blasts of lightning and a constant stream of ice spikes.

As it was, it still took them several minutes to defeat the dragon, as he seemed to be well acquainted with battle and used all kinds of tricks against them, including summoning more undead. Finally though, Aeros delivered a killing blow, stabbing upwards at Durnehviir's exposed neck. The swords found their mark easily, piercing the dragon's throat, and as his life-blood escaped, Durnehviir collapsed to the ground.

Aeros sheathed his put away his blades and rolled his shoulders in relief, feeling the tension drain out of them. The undead dragon had definitely been a lot tougher than most of Skyrim's dragons and probably would have killed him if it weren't for Serana. He leaned against an outcropping of stone and waited to absorb the dragon's soul.

He jerked in surprise then, when Durnehviir's corpse was suddenly wrapped in violet flames. The flames spread over his scaly hide, consuming it. Within a few short seconds, the entire body faded away.

"Well that's a new one," he said in bemusement.

Valerica approached then, shaking her head in wonder. "Forgive my astonishment, but I never thought I'd witness the death of that dragon."

"What makes you say that?" he asked.

"Volumes written on Durnehviir allege that he cannot be slain by normal means," she explained. "Unless…"

"Unless what?"

"The soul of a dragon is as resilient as its owner's scaly hide. It's possible your killing blow has merely displaced Durnehviir's physical form, while he reconstitutes himself."

"So we still have to deal with an angry undead dragon? Great. How long will it take for him to reconstitute himself?"

Valerica shrugged. "Minutes? Hours? Years? I can't even begin to guess. But I suggest we don't stick around to find out. Now, let's get you the Elder Scroll so you can be on your way."

Aeros and Serana followed Valerica as she led the way to a small alcove set in one of the walls. Inside was a variety of alchemical ingredients and equipment. In the very back of the alcove though, was a long, intricate case.

"Now, let me get the Scroll's case open," said Valerica as she began unlocking the various locks on the case. A few moments later, the last lock fell open and Valerica slowly opened the case. Very carefully, she pulled out the Elder Scroll and handed it to Aeros.

"Now that you've retrieved the Elder Scroll, you should be on your way," Valerica told them. "If there's anything I can do before you depart, you must let me know."

"You're staying here?" Serana asked in surprise.

Valerica shook her head. "I have no choice. As I told you before, I'm a Daughter of Coldharbour. If I return to Tamriel, that increases Harkon's likelihood of bringing the Tyranny of the Sun to fruition."

"We'll try and come back for you, but we might never return," Aeros said warningly.

"I appreciate your concern for me, but Serana is all that I care about. You must keep her safe at all costs. Remember that Harkon is not to be trusted. No matter what he promises, he'll deceive you in order to get what he wants." She locked eyes with Aeros and stared at him intently. "And promise me you'll keep my daughter safe. She's the only thing of value I have left. Besides, after what I've put Serana through, I would understand if she never wanted to see me again."

Aeros nodded in understanding. "Don't worry, I'll keep her safe, even if it costs me my life." He turned to leave, but stopped as he suddenly remembered something.

"Something else?" Valerica asked.

"Yes," Aeros said slowly. "Can you help me get my soul back?"

"So my daughter applied some of the lessons I taught her about necromancy, did she?" Valerica asked knowingly, quirking an eyebrow at him. "Don't worry, I think I can help you." For some reason she sounded amused by the whole situation.

"Good, I can use all the help I can get."

Valerica just smiled in amusement. "Your soul essence was trapped inside a gem," she explained. "When you and Serana entered the Soul Cairn, it was 'given' to the Ideal Masters as payment. You simply need to retrieve the gem. The moment you touch it, your soul essence will be restored. 

"Any idea where it could be?" Aeros asked. He hoped they wouldn't have to travel all over the Soul Cairn again.

"There's an offering altar not terribly far from here. I'm willing to bet that the gem you're looking for is there."

Aeros nodded in thanks. "We'll be going then. Thank you for all your help."

"Just keep my daughter safe," Valerica replied before turning away from them to lean over her alchemy table.

As Aeros walked over to where Serana was waiting, Veronica found herself reassured that her daughter would be safe from Harkon. The Dragonborn? It seems that you have found yourself quite the capable companion, Serana. Perhaps the two of you truly do have a chance at defeating Harkon...

"Come on, let's go home," Serana said as Aeros joined her. "I'm glad we found the Scroll, but I...I wish she could come with us."

"We'll come back for her," Aeros promised. Serana smiled thankfully at him, but said nothing.

The two of them opened the doors leading out of the boneyard and stepped out into the Soul Cairn once again. Where they found an undead dragon waiting for them.

* * *

Author's Notes: So I obviously fell behind in making sure this chapter got out on time. I got caught up in other things, mainly classes starting up again, so I apologise for the wait. But another hint to Aeros's past when he's comforting Serana! I'm thinking it'll make for an interesting arc…

Characters:

Valerica: Serana's mother and the estranged wife of Harkon. She's kind of a bitch when you first meet her, distrusting your character. She becomes slightly better after you free her and retrieve the Elder Scroll, but not by much.

Durnehviir: The undead dragon forced by the Ideal Masters to guard the Soul Cairn. After you defeat him, he teaches you how to summon him in Nirn, and asks that you allow him the chance to fly through Tamriel's skies once more.

Dragon Language:

Dill Qoth Zaam = Undead Tomb Slave (Unique Shout used by Durnehviir to summon bonemen, mistmen and wrathmen)

Joor Zah Frul = Mortal Finite Temporary (Dragonrend Shout)


	8. Road to the Dawn 8

Road to the Dawn 8

Aeros and Serana both grabbed for their weapons as the undead dragon materialized in front of them. But before they could do anything, Durnehviir spoke.

"Stay your weapons," he said in a deep rumble. "I would speak with you, Qahnaarin."

Aeros slowly removed his hands from his swords and lowered them. He motioned for Serana to do the same, and she reluctantly slid her dagger back into its sheath. Neither of them completely relaxed though, wary that this might be a trick. "I thought you were dead," he replied cautiously.

Durnehviir shook his massive head. "Cursed, not dead. Doomed to exist in this form for eternity. Trapped between laas and dinok, between life and death."

"Why are we speaking exactly?" Aeros asked. "You did just try to kill me."

"I believe in civility amongst seasoned warriors, and I find your ear worthy of my words," the dragon explained. "My claws have rended the flesh of innumerable foes, but I have never once been felled on the field of battle. I therefore honor-name you 'Qahnaarin,' or Vanquisher in your tongue."

"I found you equally worthy," Aeros replied honestly. It had been a long time since he had faced a battle with a dragon like that.

Durnehviir dipped his head in acknowledgement of the compliment. "Your words do me great honor. My desire to speak with you was born from the result of our battle, Qahnaarin. I merely wish to respectfully ask a favor of you."

"What kind of a favor?" Aeros asked curiously. What could an undead dragon possibly want from him?

"For countless years I've roamed the Soul Cairn, in unintended service to the Ideal Masters. Before this, I roamed the skies above Tamriel. I desire to return there."

"What's stopping you?"

"I fear that my time here has taken its toll upon me," Durnehviir said sorrowfully. "I share a bond with this dreaded place. If I ventured too far from the Soul Cairn, my strength would begin to wane until I was no more."

"How could I help?" Aeros asked. He believed Durnehviir now that he only wanted to talk, and he couldn't help but feel sympathy for him. To be stuck in the Soul Cairn for all eternity...he would go as mad as Sheogorath if he had to suffer that fate. Well, maybe not that crazy...

"I will place my name with you and grant you the right to call my name from Tamriel," Durnehviir told him. "Do me this simple honor, and I will fight at your side as your Grah-Zeymahzin, your Ally, and I will teach you my Thu'um."

"Just call your name in Tamriel?" Aeros asked in surprise. "That's it?"

"Trivial in your mind, perhaps. For me, it would mean a great deal. I don't require an answer, Qahnaarin. Simply speak my name to the heavens when you feel the time is right." Aeros felt the surge of knowledge and power entering his mind, the kind he normally only felt approaching a Word Wall. Once the feeling faded, he nodded to the undead dragon.

"Why do you call me Qahnaarin?" he had to ask. He had never heard of the title before, and was curious.

"In my language, the Qahnaarin is the Vanquisher, the one who has bested a fellow dovah in battle."

"Fellow dovah?" Aeros repeated questioningly. "I'm not a dragon."

Durnehviir chuckled, the sound like the rumble of thunder. "Even in the Soul Cairn, the defeat of the World Eater has reached my ears, Dovahkiin. You may not be dovah, but the defeat of Alduin earns you the right of title." Aeros was surprised that Durnehviir knew about Alduin's defeat. But then a thought occurred to him.

"How did you end up in the Soul Cairn?" he asked. Durnehviir had said he used to roam the skies of Tamriel, so how did he wind up in the Soul Cairn of all places?

"There was a time when I called Tamriel my home, but those days have long since passed. The dovah roamed the skies, vying for their small slices of territory, which resulted in immense and ultimately fatal battles."

"And you were a part of that, I'm guessing."

The dragon nodded. "I was. But unlike some of my brethren, I sought solutions outside of the norm in order to maintain my superiority. I began to use what the dovah call 'Alok-Dilon,' the ancient forbidden art that you mortals call necromancy."

Aeros glanced over at Serana and saw she was as surprised as him. Neither of them would have expected a dragon of all things to practice necromancy. "So you sought the Soul Cairn for answers," Aeros guessed.

"The Ideal Masters assured me that my powers would be unmatched, that I could raise legions of the undead. In return, I was to serve them as a Keeper until the death of the one who calls herself Valerica."

"They didn't tell you she was immortal."

Durnehviir growled in anger. "I discovered too late that the Ideal Masters favor deception over honor and had no intention of releasing me from my binding. They had control of my mind, but fortunately, they couldn't possess my soul."

"Is that why you're free now?" Aeros asked.

"Free?" Durnehviir shook his head sadly. "No. I have been here too long, Qahnaarin. The Soul Cairn has become part of what I am. I can never fully call Tamriel my home again, or I would surely perish. I only hope that you will allow me the precious moments of time there through your call."

Aeros nodded, having decided to trust the dragon. "I promise to summon you back in Tamriel, to allow you the chance to roam its skies once more," he swore. He gave a lopsided grin. "We'll just have to make sure you don't scare anyone passing by when I do."

The great dragon dipped his head. "Thank you, Qahnaarin. I look forward to when I hear your call. Until then, farewell." With a huge gust of wind, Durnehviir lifted off of the stone outcropping he had been resting on and flew over the fortress, out of their sight.

Aeros and Serana both visibly relaxed as all the tension in their bodies disappeared. Aeros started chuckling, and Serana looked at him curiously.

"Sorry, it's just...I'd forgotten how civil some dragons can be. I'm so used to them trying to tear me to shreds or burn me to a crisp, it was surprising to meet one that actually wanted to talk."

Serana laughed. "Well, I'm pretty sure the fact that you can absorb a dragon's soul tends to leave them a little disinclined to invite you over for a cup of tea, even with your charming personality," she said with a grin.

Aeros groaned good-naturedly. "I'll never have to worry about getting too full of myself while you're around, will I, Serana?" he asked half in exasperation and half in amusement.

"Of course not." Serana said smugly. "Keeping you nice and humble is my job. That, and keeping you out of trouble, of course."

"Hey!" he complained. "I handled myself just fine before I met you!"

"And gods know how you managed to survive like that," Serana replied with a smirk. "It sounds to me like your friends had to focus less on fighting and more on keeping you out of trouble."

Aeros muttered to himself. All Serana could hear was something about "Nord women" and "I'm not a child." She giggled and smiled sweetly at him.

Aeros shook his head ruefully, deciding to give up on understanding women, and instead focus on something else. "As much as I love standing here and talking, we should probably get going before something else shows up."

"All right," Serana said in agreement. "Our first stop is to find this altar my mother mentioned, and get your soul back. After that, we can finally leave this place."

It didn't take them long to find the altar that Valerica had mentioned. As soon as they approached the place, they were attacked by various undead, but the two of them didn't even slow and just carved a path of destruction through them. The last handful of undead fled at their approach, overwhelmed by the sheer power of these two.

"So the altar's up there?" Aeros asked quizzically, looking at the roof of the building. He could see one of those giant crystals floating up there, similar to the other ones that he had seen dotting the landscape. He had no idea what purpose they served though.

"I think so," Serana said with a shrug. "I don't see anything down here that looks like it could hold your soul."

"So I'm guessing we need to use this to get up there," he said, nodding to the odd glowing well next to them. They had used one of these before when they had to reach the top of a floating tower to fight the Keeper there. Upon stepping in it or simply touching it, the user was teleported to the adjoining well at the other end of the connection. The experience was a little disorienting, but it was faster than any alternative.

"Looks like it," Serana agreed, not seeing any other way up. They could attempt to scale the sides of the building, but that would be tiring, and would likely leave them exposed to any undead that happened to pass by. "Be careful though. There might be more enemies up there, and the last time we used one, a Keeper almost took our heads off."

Aeros grinned, undeterred. "Don't worry, we'll be fine. We destroyed all the Keepers, remember? Besides, the only thing I can see up there is that weird floating crystal." Without waiting for her response, he stepped onto the glowing well and vanished in a swirl of purplish smoke.

Serana shook her head, but stepped onto the well to join Aeros at the top. He was right, the rooftop was deserted except for them. The only thing of note was the giant, purple crystal that thrummed with energy, and a ceremonial looking chest directly below it.

"So where's this altar?" Aeros asked, scanning the rooftop around them.

"I'm guessing that's it right there below the crystal." Serana said, pointing.

"Great!" he said excitedly. "Then let's grab my soul gem and get back home." He strode off right towards the chest and the floating crystal.

"Aeros, wait!" Serana called. "Didn't my mother mention something about those crystals being conduits for the Ideal Masters?"

Aeros didn't hear her though, as he had just found his soul gem and was holding it up triumphantly. He could feel the rest of his soul returning and his exhaustion being washed away. As he celebrated though, he felt a strange pull at his newly restored soul, like it was being drained by something. Feeling extremely weak all of a sudden, Aeros collapsed, falling facedown on the roof and remembering too late Valerica's warning about the Ideal Masters and their hunger for souls.

Serana sighed when she saw Aeros collapse, and stomped towards him. Unaffected by the draining effect of the crystal, she grabbed Aeros by the large boneplate on the back of his armor, and with superhuman strength, dragged Aeros away from the crystal.

Once they were far enough away, Aeros began to feel his strength coming back and managed to sit up on his own.

"Um, thanks for that," he said, grinning sheepishly at Serana, who was glaring down at him. "I probably would have been done for if you weren't with me."

Serana glared at him for another few moments, before deciding it wasn't worth berating him further. "Seriously, how on earth did you manage to save the world without killing yourself?"

Aeros chuckled a bit. "Through sheer stubbornness, I guess, and because of all of my companions who I knew had my back. Well, that and a bit of dumb luck."

"More like all the luck in the world," Serana said, smirking down at him.

"Well yeah, that's probably true." he conceded. Deciding to steer the conversation away from his mishap, he stood and stretched.

"All right," he said, "we've got what we came for, and I've got my soul back! Let's get out of here and go back to Tamriel."

They walked back to the strange teleporting well, Aeros giving the giant floating crystal a wide berth this time.

Teleporting back to the well on the ground, they set off for the portal, which Aeros could see even from this distance. They made it back to the portal unmolested, any remaining undead steering well clear from the dangerous pair. They climbed the steps leading back to Nirn slowly. As they reached the top, the world faded into white again, before resolving into the image of Valerica's laboratory.

They stopped on the landing above the portal to take a short rest. As they sat there, Serana gave a small laugh. "Well, we finally have all three Elder Scrolls. Now all that's left is to have Dexion read them, and then we'll be able to stop my father."

Aeros nodded in agreement, but he felt a little anxious about the whole thing. "Serana…" he said uncertainly, not sure how to phrase this. He decided to just be as straightforward as possible. "Does it bother you that we're working against your father?"

Serana let out a sigh. "I can't say it surprises me," she said sadly. "I kind of figured we were headed for this someday. I just didn't know when…"

"Will it be hard for you if we have to kill him?" he asked softly.

"If? I've been assuming that's where all of this has been going. I've been trying to make my peace with it." She shook her head and stood up. She held her hand out to Aeros. "Come on, we can talk about this another time."

Aeros grabbed her hand and she helped pull him to his feet. Looking at her as she turned away, he couldn't help but admire her spirit and resolve. Still, no matter how much she might try to hide it, he knew she was hurting from all of this.

He glanced at the portal to the Soul Cairn, which was still open. He wondered what they should do about it; if they left it open, they risked some of the Ideal Master's minions finding it and coming through. On the other hand, if they closed it, it would be difficult obtaining the materials needed to open it again.

In the end, his decision was decided for him. As he watched, the thrum of energy from the portal began to lessen and the portal began to close. As it closed completely, the stone rings settled back in their original place on the floor, looking for all the world as if they had never moved.

"Are you coming or not?" Serana asked from below, interrupting his thoughts.

"Huh? Yeah, I'm coming." He hurried down the stairs to join her, and the two of them left the ruined tower, Elder Scrolls in hand.

* * *

\- Whiterun -

The trip back from Volkihar Castle had been a long one, and the two of them had barely taken the time to rest, traveling during both the day and the night in order to reach Fort Dawnguard as soon as possible. As a result, both Aeros and Serana were exhausted after so long on the road, and decided to stop at Whiterun in order to refill some of Aeros's supplies and give their horses a rest. By the time they had finished everything they needed to do before they set off again, the sun was setting.

Glancing towards the setting sun, Aeros reckoned that they had another hour or two of light left. Even if he and Serana kept going under the cover of darkness, like they had been, they could only push their mounts so far. They might actually be better off if they waited until morning before continue their journey. He glanced over at Serana to ask for her opinion, and saw that she was practically dead on her feet. I suppose even vampires have their limits, he mused. He shifted the weight of his armor, and winced as his tired muscles protested. So do I, for that matter.

"Serana?" he asked, trying to get her attention. Even as evening approached, the city that served as the trading hub of Skyrim continued to bustle with life. Serana had been watching the crowds of people around them, but turned her attention towards Aeros when he called her name. "What do you want to do?" he asked. "We can keep going tonight, or wait until the morning before we move on. We might actually be better off waiting until tomorrow, our mounts are exhausted; and so are we for that matter.

Serana shook her head. "No, you're right. I'm too tired to keep going tonight. Let's find somewhere to stay for the night, and get some rest."

"Well, we could stay at the Bannered Mare, or another inn, if you want, but I have a home here in the city that has some food and open beds."

Serana yawned. "If you have your own place here, let's sleep there for tonight. It's bound to be better than some inn, and less crowded too. Lead the way."

Aeros nodded, and led the way through the Plains District, back towards the city gates. He eventually stopped in front of an unassuming two-story house along the main street. A small lantern stood burning outside the doorway, indicating that someone was home. Fishing out a small key, Aeros opened the door, and stepped out of the way to let Serana enter first.

"Welcome to Breezehome," he said as he entered behind her, closing the door. "It's not much, but it's home whenever I'm in Whiterun."

The interior of Breezehome was as humble as the exterior. A small stone-lined hearth sat in the center of the room, a fire blazing away merrily, with two chairs facing the flames. A few bookshelves and weapon racks lined the walls, holding various books or weapons. In the back, near the door to what Serana assumed was the larder, was a large, wooden dining table big enough to sit eight people at once. A flight of wooden stairs led up to the second floor.

Despite Aeros's claim that it wasn't much, the house gave off a cozy feeling, and was much closer to the kind of place that Serana had originally pictured Aeros living in compared to his home in Solitude, Proudspire Manor. She was about to say so, but before she could, they were interrupted by the arrival of a woman descending down the stairs. Serana stared at her curiously, wondering who she was. She was an attractive Nord woman, with long, brown hair that fell over one shoulder, and smooth, pale skin. Serana remembered that Aeros had said he was not in a relationship with anyone, but she could not think of any other reason why a woman such as this one would be in his house. She felt a flash of jealousy, until she noticed the steel armor that the woman wore, and the way she moved, as if she was used to having a sword at her side. She realized that this must be another of Aeros's housecarls, similar to Jordis back in Solitude.

The woman stopped when she noticed Aeros and Serana standing in the entryway.

"My Thane!" she said in surprise. "Welcome home! I had heard that you were off on another adventure, so I did not expect you to be returning to Whiterun for some time."

Aeros chuckled. "It's all right, Lydia," he said. "I hadn't planned on it either." He motioned to Serana. "We were originally planning on simply passing through and refilling on some supplies, but we're both too tired to keep going tonight. Is the guest bedroom still open?"

"Of course, my Thane," Lydia replied. "I do not recognize your companion, though."

"Where are my manners?" Aeros said, laughing ruefully. "Serana, this is Lydia, my housecarl and a good friend. Lydia, this is Lady Serana Volkihar. We've been traveling together for close to two months now to try and…" He trailed off and sighed. "Well, let's just say it's a long story."

"You've gotten yourself entangled in another complicated web of events, haven't you, my Thane?" Lydia asked knowingly. Aeros looked sheepish, and she snickered at her hapless Thane. No matter how much he tried to avoid or fight it, Aeros always seemed to wind up at the very center of important events.

"It is a pleasure to meet you, Lady Serana," she said to her Thane's female companion with a bow appropriate for a housecarl greeting a noble. Aeros had called her "Lady Serana," which indicated that she was likely of noble blood, although Lydia could not recall ever hearing of a noble family in Skyrim called Volkihar, although the name itself tugged at her memory.

Serana grimaced. "Please, just call me Serana. My family and I are currently estranged, and I've found I prefer being treated like a normal person instead of like a noble." She smiled suddenly. "But it's a pleasure to meet you as well, Lydia."

Lydia returned the smile, before her eyes widened as she saw Serana's reddish-gold irises, and how they seemed to glow softly. The sight caused her to remember where she had heard the name Volkihar before. "My Thane! Beware!" she exclaimed, reaching for the sword at her waist, only for her hand to close on empty air as she belatedly remembered that her weapon was upstairs in her quarters.

Aeros sighed; he had hoped that Lydia wouldn't notice the truth about Serana until after he had a chance to explain things. Jordis had given a similar reaction when they had visited Proudspire Manor. "Relax, Lydia," he said calmly, in an effort to forestall her. "Serana won't cause you or me any harm. If she had wanted to, she's had numerous opportunities to do so over the past two months. Serana's not like any other vampire we've encountered before. I promise I'll explain everything, but first, give Serana and I a chance to stow our things while I show her to the guest bedroom."

Lydia eyed Serana warily for several moments, before she sighed, and nodded. Her Thane had proven to be an excellent judge of character, and had saved both her own life and the lives of others multiple times before when he managed to guess the hidden motives of someone who otherwise appeared to be harmless. She would just have to trust him on this. She was both anxious and curious, however, to learn the reason as to why Aeros was traveling around Skyrim with a vampire, alone.

Aeros smiled thankfully, and led Serana upstairs. At the top of the stairs was a small hallway, with four doorways connected to it. The one to the far left was Lydia's, while the one to the far right was the guest bedroom. Right next to the guest bedroom was the door to the master bedroom, where he typically slept. The fourth door, set in the center of the hallway and an equal distance from the other three doors, led to a small bathroom. Aeros showed Serana to the guest bedroom.

"Here's your room for the night," he said, opening the door. The room itself resembled those of some of the inns they had stayed at, although Serana happily noted that the bed looked to be of a higher quality. 'I'll leave you to get settled while I go explain things to Lydia."

As Aeros left the room, right before the door closed behind him, he heard Serana say softly, "Aeros, thank you. For everything." Part of him wanted to turn around and talk with Serana some more, but he knew she was exhausted, and Lydia was still waiting for an explanation. Finally, his common sense won out, and with a sigh, he changed out of his armor before trudging back downstairs.

As the door closed behind Aeros, Serana all but collapsed onto her bed as the full force of her fatigue hit her, sighing at the welcome comfort of a real bed instead of the furs and sleeping rolls that she had spent so many nights sleeping on lately. She was almost too tired to change out of her travel-stained clothes, but at last sat up and changed into something more suitable for sleeping. Laying back down on the bed, she fell asleep almost immediately, a dreamless sleep free from whatever distractions her mind might try to throw at her.

Lydia was sitting in front of the hearth, stirring a pot of stew, when Aeros came back downstairs. She looked up as he sank into the seat next to her. He had changed out of his heavy dragonplate armor, and was instead wearing a simple pair of pants and a shirt.

"You look like you haven't had a good night's rest in days," Lydia observed, noting the haggard look Aeros wore. He laughed tiredly.

"You're not too far off on that," he admitted. "I guess it's probably a good thing we decided to stay here for the night. It's still a long ride from here to the Rift, and I could use the rest."

"Just what have you gotten yourself involved in this time, my Thane?" Lydia asked curiously. "Rushing about all of Skyrim, travelling with a vampire of all things, and carrying what looked like an Elder Scroll with you?"

Aeros slowly began explaining the events of the past couple months to Lydia, from how he found Serana and learned of her father's plot, to his recent journey to the Soul Cairn. It took several hours, and by the time he was finished, his throat was parched. Lydia handed him a bowl of venison stew and a bottle of mead, which he accepted gratefully. While he wet his throat, Lydia mulled over what she had just learned.

"I will trust your judgement regarding Serana," she said at last. "I do not know her as well as you do, but I did notice that she seems different from the rest of her kind. As to this vampire threat… It's true that I have noticed an increase in vampire attacks recently. But I never imagined that it was this bad."

Aeros nodded. "Actually, that brings up a favor I meant to ask of you," he said as he set his empty bowl down. "After we leave, do you think you could contact the other housecarls and explain things to them? Once we find this bow, I'm not sure how much time we'll have before Harkon finds out, so I want to gather as many allies as I can. Try to explain things to the Jarls as well, see if they're willing to send some of their men. The College too."

Lydia nodded. "Of course, my Thane. I will see what I can do."

He smiled. "Thank you, Lydia. Both for this, and for believing me about Serana." He yawned. "Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to turn in for the night. The gods know I could use a good rest."

"Good night, my Thane," said Lydia as Aeros stood with a groan. As he made his way towards the stairs, she couldn't help but ask one last question. "My Thane, is Serana truly just a friend to you?"

He stopped and looked back towards her in confusion. "What do you mean?" he asked, mystified.

Lydia shook her head. "Never mind, it was nothing. I will see you in the morning, my Thane."

Still confused by Lydia's question, Aeros headed upstairs. Lydia remained down below for a little while longer, pondering on what she had just learned, before banking the fire and turning in for the night herself.

* * *

\- The Next Morning -

The sun had barely risen when Aeros awoke. Resisting the urge to yawn, he climbed out of bed and stretched. He had slept better than he had in a long time, and even the restlessness of his beast blood hadn't kept him from falling into a deep slumber.

Now that he had gotten some much needed rest, he decided the first thing he was going to do was take a bath. After so long on the road and trudging through caves and old ruins, he was covered in days' worth of dirt and grime, and while he had managed to keep himself somewhat clean by quickly washing off in streams and rivers, he couldn't wait to completely get rid of all of the dirt and actually feel clean again.

Quickly pulling on the same clothes he had changed into the night before, he went to go fetch some water for his bath. It took him several trips, but he finally managed to get enough to fill the tub. He had just gone to grab a change of clothes when Serana slipped past him unseen and into the bathroom. Hearing a door shut, he spun around to find that the bathroom door was now closed. He tried opening it, but it was locked from the other side. Out of the corner of his eyes, he saw that the door to Serana's room was open and the room was empty.

"Serana, what are you doing?" he asked the door, realizing who must have crept by him.

"Taking a bath," came the muffled reply.

"That's supposed to be my bath!" Aeros growled. He thought he heard Serana giggle on the other sound, but before he could be sure, the door was yanked open and he found himself face to face with Serana, wearing only a towel. If she had been laughing before, she had hidden it well, as she stared at him with one eyebrow raised.

"And who went and made you Jarl of Whiterun, to demand that people give up their baths just so that you can go first?" she asked calmly.

"That's not the point!" Aeros protested. "I went and fetched the water for it, so it's my bath. Besides, it's my house!" He wasn't even quite sure why he was arguing about this with her, but he had a sneaking suspicion that Serana was enjoying their little exchange immensely.

"And I'm a guest in your home, which means it's your duty to be a good host," Serana countered. "Not to mention the fact that I'm a lady, and it's only polite as a gentleman for you to allow me to bathe first."

She sighed heavily. "But if you insist on taking a bath first, very well. Let me just get dressed first." She turned away from him and reached for her clothes, letting the towel wrapped around her slip.

"No, that's okay!" Aeros said quickly, averting his gaze. "You can bathe first. I can wait."

Serana stopped, and covered herself again before grinning at him. "Thank you, Aeros. You're too kind," she said, before she closed the door and locked it again, leaving Aeros to puzzle out what had just happened. It was only when he heard the sound of Serana laughing on the other side of the door that he realized that he had been tricked.

"Locked out of my own bath," he muttered to himself as he sat down in a chair, and began plotting his revenge.

Lydia, who had watched the entire exchange between the two with growing amusement, could keep quiet no longer. "Rough morning, my Thane?" she snickered. Aeros flushed in embarrassment, but grumbled good-naturedly.

"How easy do you think it would be to carry someone to the White River and throw them in it?" he wondered aloud.

"I doubt it would be that easy, my Thane," Lydia said dryly. "Especially if the person in question is a several thousand year old vampiress who does not want to be dunked in the river."

"What if I froze her first?" he mused. "Not for too long, just long enough for me to reach the water…"

His thoughts of revenge were interrupted by the sound of someone knocking on his door. Wondering who it could be, he glanced at Lydia, but she shook her head to indicate that she didn't know either. Getting up, he headed downstairs and opened the door.

"Harbinger!" a familiar voice said. "We heard someone say that they thought they saw you fetching water this morning, so we came to see if they were telling the truth. It's good to see that they were."

Aeros grinned at the three people standing outside his door. Two of them were powerful looking men who shared the same shade of brown hair and the same ice blue eyes. In fact, their appearance was so similar that even a complete stranger would have been able to tell that they were twins. The only way to tell them apart was by the length of their hair, and the style of war paint they occasionally wore. Both of them wore heavy armor with a wolf motif, and had large two-handed swords slung over their back. The third person was a tall, lithe woman, with a long mane of fiery hair and eyes the color of burnished gold. Unlike the twins, she wore light armor reminiscent of the kind worn by the ancient Nords. A dagger was belted at her side, while a bow and quiver full of arrows hung at her back.

"Aela, Vilkas, Farkas!" He said with a grin. "I'm glad to see you three. Come on in." He moved out of the way to let them by. He pulled up some extra chairs and offered for them to sit down and relax. Aela and Vilkas accepted graciously, but Farkas declined, choosing instead to lean against a wall.

"So how have things been at Jorrvaskr?" Aeros asked. "Have the other Companions been running you ragged?"

Aela snorted. "Those whelps? Please. They're the same as always, nothing the Circle can't handle. Things have been pretty busy though. We've been getting more and more contracts recently asking for us to deal with vampires, instead of the usual giants or bandits. Evidently, they've been causing problems all over Skyrim, like something's got them worked up."

"But what have you been up to, Harbinger?" Vilkas asked. "No one's heard much from you during the past two months."

"Based off of the layers of dirt caked into your skin, I'd say you've been off on another adventure of some sort," Farkas said. He smirked. "Either that, or you've been rolling around in the dirt like a dog."

Aeros chuckled. "No, Farkas, I haven't been rolling around in the dirt; at least not willingly. As to what I've been up to, well..." He shrugged. "I guess you could say I'm part of the reason why the vampires are so worked up."

Vilkas and Farkas laughed heartily at that remark. Knowing their Harbinger, he had done something big if he had managed to rile up all of Skyrim's vampires. Aela did not join in however, although her lips quirked. She had been distracted by a strange scent that was mixed in with the usual smells of Breezehome.

"Aeros, what's this strange scent?" she asked curiously. "In a way, it reminds of some of the vampires we've dealt with recently, although this one smells more pleasant and there isn't the stench of blood mixed in. Did you purchase a large amount of vampire dust for your alchemy recently?"

Aeros grimaced. He hadn't thought about the fact that Serana's scent would be all over Breezehome. He couldn't introduce Serana to the Circle just yet, not until he had explained everything to them first. As his mind raced to come up with a reasonable excuse, a door opened upstairs.

"Aeros!" Serana called. "I'm done with my bath. You can take yours now." Aeros winced as Aela, Vilkas, and Farkas all looked at him curiously, no doubt wondering just who was upstairs. He just prayed that Serana wouldn't come downstairs.

His prayers went unanswered. When he didn't reply, he heard the murmur of voices, likely Serana asking Lydia where he was. A moment later, he heard footsteps approaching the stairs.

"Aeros?" Serana questioned as she came downstairs and saw him sitting there. "Did you hear me? I said I was done wit-"

She stopped abruptly and stiffened as she picked up the scent of other werewolves. Reacting similarly, as they picked up the scent of a vampire, all three Companions leaped to their feet, hands reaching for their weapons. In the blink of an eye, Aela had her bow in hand, an arrow already nocked and aimed at Serana's heart, while Vilkas and Farkas prepared to draw their blades at a moment's notice.

"Wait!" Aeros shouted, putting himself in between the huntress's arrow and Serana. "Everybody calm down. She's with me."

Vilkas and Farkas blinked in confusion, and slowly removed their hands from the hilts of their swords. Aela did not move however.

"Aela," Aeros said warningly. "Relax. Serana won't hurt anyone. She's not like other vampires."

The two of them locked eyes with each other, and neither of them moved for several long moments. At last though, Aela nodded and reluctantly lowered her bow. Aeros sighed in relief.

"I trust you have a good reason for allowing a vampire in your house, Harbinger?" Aela asked, keeping her expression and voice carefully neutral. Aeros knew that Vilkas and Farkas were likely wondering the same thing, although he thought he saw Farkas mouth "Bath?" questioningly to Vilkas, who shook his head to indicate that he had no idea either.

"Of course," he answered Aela. He motioned for everyone to sit down again, which they all did somewhat reluctantly. He offered his seat to Serana, but she shook her head, choosing instead to stand a few feet behind him. Aela and the twins waited patiently for an explanation.

Aeros tried to think of where to begin. "Vilkas," he said at last. "You asked me where I've been for the past two months. To answer your question, I was helping a group called the Dawnguard deal with the growing vampire threat. That's why I'm part of the reason why the vampires are so worked up. Serana here is the other part of that reason."

Similarly to when he had explained things to Lydia, he recounted the events of the past two months, including how he rescued Serana, learning of Harkon's plan to enact the Tyranny of the Sun, and how they were trying to stop him. He also made sure to explain the fact that Serana was nothing like a normal vampire, and that he trusted her implicitly.

When he was done, the other members of the Circle were quiet for a long time, as they digested everything they had just learned. Vilkas was the first one to speak.

"Very well, Harbinger, we will trust your judgement, and your decision to trust Serana." He shifted his attention to Serana. "Apologies for our earlier behavior, Serana."

"It's all right," said Serana. "I can understand why you would react like that, especially after having to deal with so many of my kind recently." She smiled. "Besides, werewolves and vampires have never gotten along. Of course, I doubt any vampire has had to deal with someone as infuriating as this fellow here," she said, indicating Aeros.

Vilkas and Farkas both guffawed at that, and even Aela snickered a little. Aeros groaned. "She-devil," he growled. "Stop turning everyone against me. First my housecarls, now even my Shield-Siblings!" Serana just grinned wickedly at him.

"About this 'Lord Harkon' and his plan to blot out the sun," said Farkas. "Is there anything we can do to help, Harbinger?"

Aeros nodded. "There is actually. Once we find Auriel's Bow, I have a feeling that things are going to come to a head. If I'm right, the Dawnguard will need allies. If you could, inform the rest of the Companions about the situation and wait for word from me. I'll need all of you at Fort Dawnguard to help with the assault."

"Very well, Harbinger," said Aela. "We will do as you ask; it seems that this threat is greater than anyone imagined. But have no fear, the Companions will stand by you, as always. Now, we will let you finish getting ready to continue your journey." She stood, as did Vilkas and Farkas, as they took their leave. The twins were the first out the door, but Aela paused, glancing back at Aeros.

"Good hunting, Aeros," she said, before following the twins.

Serana sank down into a chair. "Well, that could have gone much worse," she said shakily. "Thank you for making sure I didn't wind up as a human pincushion."

Aeros chuckled. "You're welcome. I'm just glad everything worked out. Aela's right though. We should get going soon, before we lose too much daylight. But first…" He glared at Serana. "I don't suppose you'd be willing to help me fetch some more water, seeing as you used up what I had already carried?"

"Nope," Serana answered, barely managing to keep a straight face. "Someone has to help Lydia pack supplies while you slack off and take a bath."

With a growl, Aeros grabbed a bucket and stomped out of Breezehome to go fetch more water, muttering darkly to himself. Behind him, Serana dissolved into a fit of giggles.

* * *

\- Fort Dawnguard -

The trip from Whiterun to the Rift took several days, but fortunately they passed without incident. It was late afternoon when they arrived back in the hidden canyon where Fort Dawnguard lay, the sun blocked somewhat by the mountains that encircled the canyon. Several of the recruits were outside training or sparring, supervised by the more experienced members of the Dawnguard, and Aeros was pleased to see that the greenhorns had greatly improved in the time he had been gone. The vast majority of them could now wield a weapon proficiently, and were able to hit the targets more often than not with their crossbows.

Continuing onwards to the fort, they were greeted by Dexion as they entered the main chamber. "I trust your journey was successful?" he asked as he approached them. For whatever reason, he was wearing a strip of cloth around his head that covered his eyes.

"It was," Aeros replied as he unslung the two Scrolls from his back. "We've got the other two Elder Scrolls right here." But as he went to hand them to Dexion, the Moth Priest shook his head.

"I'm sorry, my friend," he said sorrowfully, "I can no longer be of use in this matter."

Aeros stopped. "Why? What happened?"

The man laughed ruefully. "It is my fault, really. In my haste to read the first Scroll, I neglected the careful preparation required. I thought I would be able to allay the after-effects, but I was wrong. Now I am paying for it."

Aeros looked quizzically at Dexion, not understanding. Serana however, quickly realized what he was talking about.

"That band of cloth around your eyes," she gasped. "Are you-"

"Blind? Yes, I'm afraid so."

"Is there anything that can be done to help you?" Serana asked.

Dexion shook his head again. "No, I'm afraid not. It is the inevitable fate we Moth Priests agree to when we read the Elder Scrolls. Normally, it doesn't occur until a Moth Priest's later years, but in my case I simply wasn't preparing myself properly. It'll just have to run it's course. And there's always the chance I may never recover."

"Then we're finished," Aeros groaned. "If we can't read the Scrolls, then Harkon will find the bow and enact the Tyranny of the Sun, if he doesn't just wipe us out first. Damn it!"

"Not to worry," Dexion reassured them. "There is another way. The question is, how much are you willing to risk to find Auriel's Bow?"

"Well, I do like living in a sunlit world," Aeros said dryly. "What do I need to do?"

"I can't guarantee you'd be free from harm," Dexion warned him. "Becoming blind may be the least of your worries."

"Don't worry about that. Just tell me."

The Moth Priest nodded, accepting Aeros's resolve. "Scattered across Tamriel are secluded locations known only as Ancestor Glades. They are ancient places, filled with old magic. There is one in Skyrim, in the Pine Forest of Falkreath. Performing the ritual of the Ancestor Moth within the glade should provide the answers you seek."

"What's this 'ritual?'" Serana asked, curious.

"It involves carefully removing the bark of a Canticle Tree, which will in turn attract Ancestors Moths to you. Once enough of the moths are following, they'll provide you with the second sight needed to decipher the Scrolls."

"Carefully gather the bark? How?"

"In keeping with tradition, you must use a specific tool within the glade, an implement known as a Draw Knife. Every Moth Priest is taught this ritual, but few get to ever perform it...you should consider yourself fortunate if it works for you."

"Do I need to read the Scrolls in any particular order?" Aeros asked.

"I do not know. But from what I saw in my vision, the Elder Scroll which foreshadows the defiance of the gods with the blood of mortals is the key to the prophecy."

"So we just need to find this Ancestor Glade and read the Scrolls in it?" asked Aeros. "Sounds simple enough." He paused though, not understanding something. "But what do moths have to do with an Elder Scroll?"

"Well, as I'm sure you've figured out by now, it's no mere coincidence that the members of my order are called 'Moth Priests.' The voice of the Ancestor Moth has always been an integral part of reading the Elder Scrolls."

"Um, moths barely make a sound, let alone speak," Aeros said in confusion.

Dexion chuckled. "Oh, the moths don't literally read the Scrolls...but they maintain a connection to ancient magic that allows the Moth Priests to decipher them. If you listen closely when you find the glade, you should be able to hear their song, a soft, harmonious trilling. It's through this ancestral chorus that the moths tap into a form of primal auger, and became a conduit for deciphering the Scrolls."

"How does that help the Moth Priests?"

"By having the Ancestral Moths close to the Moth Priest, they can utilize the conduit and share the moths' augury, minimizing the risks of reading the Elder Scroll. However, only the most resilient of priests can do it this way, as it takes years of practice to interpret the harmony correctly."

"Then how do I even stand a chance?" Aeros demanded. "We don't exactly have years for me to try to learn how to talk with moths."

"You've come this far, and you've found several Elder Scrolls," Dexion said calmly. "Whether you believe it or not, the Scrolls have a mind of their own. If they did not want you to find them, they would not have allowed it. Because of this, I strongly believe you are meant to hear the ancestral chorus. There is only one way to find out."

"I guess you're right," Aeros said uncertainly. "Still, that's just all the more reason to find out what the Scrolls can tell us, before Harkon's vampires can catch up to us. Thanks, Dexion." The Moth Priest inclined his head in farewell, and left them.

After Dexion left, Aeros made his way upstairs, with Serana trailing behind him curiously. Once on the second floor, he headed towards a little used corridor. While the rest of the fort was fairly clean, now that it was in use once again, this corridor still had cobwebs covering the walls and ceiling, and the torches were unlit. Lighting them with his magic, Aeros made his way towards the very end of the hall, where a heavy wooden door sat. The door was unlocked, and swung open as he pushed on it. Inside was a fairly large room, with bookcases lining the walls, and a sturdy table sitting in the center.

"Where are we?" Serana asked. She had never been in this part of the fort before, and both the corridor and the room itself looked like no one had used them in a long time.

"Fort Dawnguard's library," Aeros answered as he lit the torches around the room, before placing the one in his hand in an empty sconce. "I found it when I was poking around the fort after I first arrived. It looks like Isran used it when he first began rebuilding the place, but no one's been here for some time. Now they do all of their planning for patrols, skirmishes and such on the maps downstairs in their little impromptu command center. Still, Isran used to use this place to keep various books on things like vampires, the old Dawnguard order, and 'light' spells, such as Stendarr's Aura or the sun fire spell. He also keeps some old maps in here, and old tomes about ancient places of power in Skyrim. That's why I'm hoping to find what we're looking for in here."

"Which is what, exactly?" Serana asked, reading the various titles on the spines of the books. Isran had accumulated quite the collection of books over the years, and she was surprised that nobody used the room anymore.

"I'm trying to find something that can tell us the location of the Ancestor Glade," he answered as he pulled out several maps of Skyrim, some yellow with age and brittle to the touch. "Dexion didn't exactly give us an exact location for where to find this glade, and the Pine Forest is a huge area that stretches across all of Falkreath Hold, and part of Whiterun too. It's easy to get lost in there, especially with the mist that regularly blankets the place, and we could wander around for days or even weeks without finding the Ancestor Glade. That's why I'm hoping one of these old maps or tomes mentions it, maybe give us a better idea of where to look."

"I'll help then," Serana offered. Aeros, already poring over the maps, nodded absently. Searching the bookshelves, she pulled out several books and tomes concerning Falkreath Hold and places of power in Skyrim. Together, they sifted through the centuries old information, slowly getting a better idea of the location of the Ancestor Glade. They were just comparing a map of First Era Skyrim with a more current version when Isran found them.

"There you are," he said gruffly. "I've been looking for you, Aeros. We need your help with a little test for the recruits."

Aeros looked up. "What kind of test?" he asked curiously. He knew the recruits were put through constant training, mainly training with weapons and archery, and a bit of tactics as well, with the occasional bit of sparring to see how much the whelps had improved. He had helped out with those before, but this sounded like Isran had something different in mind.

The Redguard grinned wickedly, something both Aeros and Serana found unsettling. "A little obstacle course some of us put together," he answered. You're familiar with the cave system behind the fort?"

Aeros shrugged. "Dead Drop Falls? Yeah, I've looked around a bit in them, but there's not much there."

"There used to not be much there," Isran corrected. "Now though…well, you'll see for yourself. Join us whenever you're ready. We've gathered up the greenhorns outside the entrance."

He left. Aeros glanced at Serana, who shrugged. "Let's go check it out," she suggested. "I'm curious as to what all the fuss is about."

"Serana, Isran grinned when he was talking about this obstacle course they put together. The man never grins, or smiles, or makes any expression other than a scowl. If he's excited about whatever it is they built in the caves, I feel bad for the recruits who are going to have to experience his little 'surprise.' Still," he sighed, "I'll admit that I am somewhat curious as well. Let's go see what it is he wants me to help with."

Leaving the maps and books for now, they headed downstairs. The entrance to Dead Drop Falls was located in the southern part of the fortress, in a wide rough hewn chamber of natural rock. The space itself wasn't used for much; a small archery range was built on the eastern side and a small kennel for the handful of dogs trained to hunt vampires lay on the western side. Personally, Aeros was just glad the cave entrance wasn't over by the troll pen; the smell could get horrendous sometimes.

Isran and Durak were waiting for him by the cave entrance. Isran scowled when he saw Serana but said nothing. Grunting in acknowledgement, Durak pulled a piece of parchment out, a rough map of the cave system and mine sketched on it.

"As I'm sure Isran told you, we've set up an obstacle course of sorts inside the cave," he said gruffly. "The whelps here are going to travel in pairs and attempt to navigate their way through. Scattered throughout the cave are various traps and puzzles that will test their teamwork and perceptiveness, as well as their survival and combat ability and how fast they can make it through. To that end, some of the others are already in position inside the cave, manning some of the traps or lying in ambush, and making sure nothing gets out of hand. The course will serve as the whelps' Trial, and those that perform admirably will be accepted as full members of the Dawnguard, while the rest will continue training."

Aeros nodded in understanding. It wasn't too different in concept from basic training for Legion recruits, or the Trial that the new bloods in the Companions had to undertake, although based off of Isran's earlier smile, he had a feeling it would be a lot more unpleasant. "So what exactly is it I'm supposed to do?" he asked.

"Yours and Serana's job will be to rove through the cavern and cause a little bit of havoc for the whelps, keep them on their toes."

Aeros and Serana grinned widely. "Don't worry," Aeros assured Isran and Durak. "Chaos is our specialty. The recruits are going to have an interesting experience." He looked at Isran and Durak suspiciously. "Just what are you two going to be doing during all of this?" he asked.

Isran and Durak both grinned, a sight which terrified the recruits nearby. "Us?" Isran said. "We won't be doing anything. We're just going to see the recruits off."

"Come on," Durak rumbled. "I'll show you the secret passageway. Wouldn't want you to have to go the same way as the recruits, eh?"

Leading them inside the cave, he walked past the large hole at the far end of the cave. A waterfall thundered down into the gap, feeding a deep pool of water below. Ignoring the continuous roar of the waterfall, Durak climbed up onto a ledge on the far left of the room, and pulled a hidden lever. There was the faint sound of gears and pulleys, before a stone slab in front of them slid back and out of the way.

"I trust you can find your way from here," he said. When they nodded, he jumped down from the ledge and rejoined Isran outside the cave. They were saying something to the recruits, but Aeros couldn't hear it over the roar of the waterfall.

"Come on, Aeros, let's go," Serana urged, but he didn't move.

"Hold on," he said. "I want to watch this. I have a pretty good idea of what Isran and Durak meant when they said they were going to see the whelps off."

"What do you mean?" Serana questioned, but he shook his head and pointed.

"Watch."

Isran and Durak re-entered the cave, the first pair of recruits behind them. The recruits were in full armor, with their weapons at their sides or on their backs, as well as a crossbow and quiver of bolts each. He watched their eyes scan their surroundings, no doubt looking for the path forward. They didn't notice the small alcove where Aeros and Serana stood watching.

Isran and Durak stopped at the edge of the gaping hole. "All right, greenhorns," said Isran. "Time to see what you're made of. Get going."

Both of the recruits went pale as they realized how they were meant to proceed. "You have to be joking!" one of them, a young Nord asked shrilly, his eyes bulging. "You can't actually expect us to jump?!"

"Ah, it's easy," said Isran. "Here, let me show you. First, you stand at the edge, back straight, and then all you need is…" The young man was so focused on the hole in front of him that he failed to notice Isran circling around behind him. "A bit of motivation!" Isran finished as he delivered a solid boot to the man's rear, kicking him over the edge.

A terrified, high-pitched scream could be heard as the Nord fell, before it was swallowed by the sound of a loud splash. Isran turned expectantly to the remaining recruit, a dark-skinned Bosmer female. To her credit, she swallowed her fear and marched to the edge, taking a moment to collect herself before leaping gracefully into the void and plunging into the water below.

Aeros and Serana quickly took their leave and made their way down the secret passage, their laughter echoing off the walls as they shook with mirth.

"Now I see why Isran and Durak wanted to be the ones to see the recruits off!" Aeros gasped as he struggled to contain himself.

"I know we shouldn't laugh at them, but the look on that Nord's face right before he fell was simply comical," Serana said, tears of laughter down her cheeks.

They were still laughing when they passed under a wooden platform. Beleval and Ingjard were laying down on top, crossbows aimed in the direction the recruits would be coming through, should they make it that far. They looked questioningly at Aeros. He jerked a thumb over his shoulder and grinned. Both women immediately caught on to the fact that the recruits must have started and began to giggle.

Continuing onwards, Aeros and Serana ran across Celann rigging a gate to a trio of pressure plates. At the end of the passageway, the stone around them opened up into a wide cavern. Aeros whistled in appreciation. Isran hadn't been kidding when he had said that the senior members of the Dawnguard had been busy. Where once the cavern had been empty except for several towering stone pillars, now it was filled with all sorts of obstacles. There was now a series of drawbridges connecting the ground to the ledge where they stood, but less than half of them were connected to actual levers. The rest had to be lowered by hitting several targets mounted against the stone pillars, either with a crossbow bolt or with magic. Beyond that, there were also several heavy pendulums carved out of solid wood that swung back and forth across certain parts of the path. He also spotted a number of weak rune traps on the ground and several mounted crossbows loaded with dummy bolts; the bolts were blunted, so they wouldn't cause any serious injuries, but they would still leave painful bruises. To make matters worse, most of the cavern was flooded, all but guaranteeing that the recruits would have to traverse the traps in order to make it across.

He spotted Sorine and Gunmar standing in the shadows, talking quietly about something. Next to them was a series of levers, of the same sort that operated a few of the drawbridges. There seemed to be an equal number of levers as there were drawbridges, but what purpose they served, he had no idea

"Hello, Aeros and Serana," Gunmar greeted them. "I see Isran's got you helping out as well."

"That's right," said Serana. "The first pair just started not too long ago. What are all those levers for?" she asked.

Gunmar chuckled. "Sorine here made some 'modifications' to the bridges. She…well, she can explain it better than I can."

"It was quite simple really," explained Sorine. "Normally, a typical drawbridge rotates on a ninety degree axis, typically using a counterweight that prevents the bridge from rotating beyond a right angle. All I did was alter the hinges and counterweight so that when the proper mechanism is released, the bridge rotates a full one hundred eighty degrees instead of the previous ninety. Upon the reversal of the mechanism, the bridge returns to its previous horizontal or vertical position."

Aeros and Serana looked at Gunmar in bewilderment. He laughed at their mystified expressions as they tried to understand the highly technical explanation that Sorine had just given. "She means that when we pull one of these levers, the bridge will drop out completely from under the recruits," he explained.

"You mean you understood all of what she just said?" Serana asked incredulously. The burly Nord shrugged.

"I've been working together with Sorine a lot these past couple weeks, and I've started to pick up on some of the more technical terms she uses," he said. "Although, admittedly, she occasionally still has to repeat them a few times for me before I understand. Care to watch?"

Aeros chuckled at the image conjured in his head of the expressions of the recruits as the bridge dropped out beneath them, but shook his head. "As much as I'd love to, Serana and I should keep moving a little, since Isran asked us to keep the whelps 'on their toes.' Besides, I think think we'll be able to tell when you pull one of those levers; something tells me it'll be very audible."

Leaving Sorine and Gunmar, Aeros and Serana climbed down to the cavern floor and found a patch of shadows to hide in. Serana helped obscure them from view with a spell, and to an outside observer, they all but disappeared completely as the shadows wrapped around them. They didn't have to wait long before the first pair of recruits arrived, the same pair they had watched fall into the hole. The Nord looked to be in a foul mood, stomping into the cavern and announcing his presence to all. He was still soaking wet from his jump, although parts of him looked slightly singed from whatever had been in the previous chamber. Both his armor and shield were dented in various places, and he appeared to have lost his weapon somewhere.

In contrast, the wood elf seemed to be doing much better. Although she was still wet from the water, and shivering slightly from the cold, her equipment was almost completely unscratched. She peered cautiously about the room, wary of more traps. "Bolond, stop making so much noise," she whispered. "You're giving us away!"

The Nord, Bolond, sneered. "Scared, Fauridil?" he taunted. "Besides, who could I possibly be giving us away to?"

"Y'ffre, give me patience," she muttered. "No, you idiot, I'm not scared, I'm being cautious. In case you didn't notice, most of the senior members disappeared right before Isran had us form up. Most likely, they're somewhere in here, waiting for us."

She's sharp, Aeros thought to himself. And skilled too, given the fact that she's almost completely unharmed. Either that, or she's using this Bolond fellow as a shield. His mouth quirked. Which I suppose is a valid strategy too.

Serana leaned over and spoke in a hushed whisper. "Any ideas on what we should throw at this pair?" she asked.

"Nothing too flashy, like destruction magic," he said quietly. "I'm not so sure about the Nord, but the Bosmer girl, Fauridil, will almost surely be able to find the source if we do something like that."

"You've got a point," she whispered in agreement. "Besides, destruction magic is all well and good, but there are other schools that might be more suited for testing them. Illusion magic, for instance."

Aeros nodded, a plan already forming in his mind. "I'm not much of an expert in illusion magic, but I think I have just the spell for this." He drew upon his magicka, shaping it into the desired spell as he concentrated on the form he wanted the spell to take. The image became clearer and clearer in his mind, until it seemed so real that he could reach out and touch it. Opening his eyes, he focused on a spot not too far ahead of the pair and released the spell.

A savage roar echoed through the cavern, causing both recruits to freeze in their tracks. A cave troll lumbered out from behind one of the stone pillars, bellowing in anger. It was large even for its kind, dwarfing even the armored trolls Gunmar kept in a pen at the fort. The troll bellowed again as it spotted the two recruits, pounding the ground threateningly.

Bolond and Fauridil stood rooted in place as they were confronted by one of the greatest threats in Skyrim. When neither of them moved, the troll gnashed its teeth in rage and charged towards them, its eyes gleaming a bright red.

Bolond rapidly backpedaled, his eyes wide in fear as he sought to distance himself from the several hundred pounds of primal fury that was rapidly approaching. Fauridil also took a step back, but stopped when she noticed something strange. For just a brief moment, the troll's shape flickered, and as she looked down at its feet, she saw that it was passing unharmed over several rune traps on the ground.

"Bolond!" She yelled. "It's not real. It's an illusion!" But the Nord was not listening to her, his fear blocking out all reason. She sighed, knowing that she would have to deal with this by herself.

Returning her axe to its holster, she concentrated, casting one of the few spells she knew, one that dispelled magical effects and illusions. Hitting the troll square in the chest, she watched as it froze, before it dissipated into harmless red light and vanished.

She looked around cautiously for whoever had cast the spell, but she saw no one. Turning around, she glared at the cowering Nord. "It's gone, Bolond," she said irritably. "It was just an illusion."

"I know that!" Bolond snapped. "I just wasn't prepared to run into a troll down here; it caught me off guard, that's all."

"And you call yourself Dawnguard," Fauridil scoffed. "I don't know how you plan on fighting vampires if you almost ran away at the sight of a troll."

"Vampires are nothing like trolls!" The Nord snarled.

"You're right," agreed Fauridil. "Vampires are much worse. And they like to use illusion magic to trick and ensnare their prey, so you better get used to dealing with it." She sighed and shook her head in disgust. "Come on, we're wasting time. Let's keep going."

The two of them moved on, as Aeros and Serana watched from the shadows. Moments later, they heard the sound of the first drawbridge being lowered.

"I have to say, I'm impressed with how quickly Fauridil realized your troll was an illusion," Serana said once everything was quiet once more. "But I'm more surprised that you knew a spell like that. Was that a fear spell mixed in with the illusion?"

Aeros nodded. "Yeah, I figured I'd see how well they could handle their own natural fear when it was compounded by a magical fear as well. You're right though, I don't use that spell often. Why bother creating an illusion that may or may not work when I can just strike fear into my opponents myself?"

Serana laughed softly. "That sounds just like you," she said. "Any other interesting tricks up your sleeves?"

"A few," Aeros admitted. "Nothing like some of the mages and students at the College, though. There was one student in particular, who was one of the number one troublemakers at the College, alongside J'zargo. She invented a spell that made your clothes vanish, and caused a number of humorous incidents with it. The professors finally had to ask her to stop just so everyone could focus on their studies."

Their conversation was interrupted by the arrival of the next pair. This time, speaking as quietly as possible, Aeros used his Thu'um.

"Tiid Klo Ul." All around him, he felt time slow down, until he could see the individual dust motes suspended motionless in the air. Approaching the frozen pair of recruits, he quickly relieved them of their weapons and shields. For a brief moment, he thought about stripping them of their armor as well, but decided that would be too much. Carrying the stolen equipment under his arm, he briskly crossed the drawbridges and stopped in front of Sorine and Gunmar. Willing his Thu'um to end, he felt time resume its normal pace.

Sorine and Gunmar were startled to see Aeros suddenly appear in front of them. He grinned and dropped a bundle of weapons and shields at their feet. "Present for you two," he said cheerfully, before speaking in a mysterious language that neither of them recognized and vanishing again.

"How did he-?" Sorine asked, perplexed by the man's seeming ability to appear and disappear at will without the use of a spell. Gunmar, who was examining the bundle that Aeros had dropped, began to laugh, much to his partner's confusion, as he realized where Aeros must have gotten the weapons and equipment from. Sure enough, a few moments later, he heard a shout of dismay.

For Serana, it had only been a few seconds since Aeros had disappeared suddenly, along with the recruits' weapons. She grinned when he reappeared next to her. "You're just in time for the entertainment," she said, gesturing to where the two Dawnguard members were frantically searching for their missing gear. Eventually, they gave up and moved on.

"I wonder if Gunmar and Sorine will take pity on them, since they lost all of their equipment?" Aeros mused. His query was answered a few minutes later by two alarmed yelps followed shortly by two loud splashes as the recruits fell into the water below the bridges.

"I'm guessing that's a no," Serana giggled.

* * *

\- Later that night -

It took several more hours for the rest of the recruits to make it through Isran's obstacle course. Several of them had received a number of scrapes and bruises, but beyond their egos, nothing else was seriously injured. Once the last pair had emerged from the cave, the senior Dawnguard members gathered to compare notes and judge the performance of the greenhorns. When they had all reached agreement, they assembled the greenhorns in the main chamber of the fort. Once they had all assembled, Isran called out the names of each recruit that had been found worthy enough to be deemed a full member of the Dawnguard.

In the end, of the two dozen or so recruits, only six were called forward, including Fauridil and Agmaer. At Isran's command, they all took a knee, and recited the Oath of the Dawnguard.

"Night falls, and now my hunt begins. To protect the people of Skyrim from that which hides in the shadows. I am the Protector of Dawn, the Shatterer of Dusk, the Fire that holds vigil against the Night and her children. With fangs, claws, and deceit do they leave crimson blood and sorrow in their wake. With fire, axe, and shield do we bring death and justice to them, and so the hunter becomes the hunted. Thus do I swear my life and honor to the Dawnguard, to stand strong and serve as a Light to illuminate the Darkness."

It was an an ancient oath, a remnant from the time of the original Dawnguard. Aeros and Serana had actually discovered it in one of the older tomes when they were researching the location of the Ancestor Glade, so Aeros figured that was where Isran had gotten it from. The oath itself was more of a formality than anything, as neither Aeros nor the other senior members had sworn such an oath.

Then again, he thought as he glanced over at Serana, perhaps that's for the best. Swearing an oath to stand against all vampires would have undoubtedly made it even more difficult to convince Isran to listen to Serana, and cause the others to think him an oathbreaker.

"Now rise," commanded Isran, "as full members of the Dawnguard, with all of the responsibilities and privileges that accompany your new rank."

The rest of Dawnguard shouted their approval and congratulated the six newest members, before moving to the dining hall to celebrate. The tables were packed, as everyone except those on guard duty or out on patrol was there. As a result, Aeros and Serana found themselves sharing a table with Sorine and Gunmar, as well as a few other Dawnguard. Some of the others looked disgruntled at having to sit so close to the vampire and supposed vampire lover, but did their best to ignore them and enjoy the feast. Sorine and Gunmar, on the other hand, were more than happy to have Aeros and Serana join them. As they grabbed some food and sat down, the four of them began swapping tales and comparing some of their favorite moments of the new bloods' Trial.

"I have to say, Aeros, you and Serana must have caused more trouble for the whelps than the rest of us combined!" Gunmar laughed boisterously, taking a large swig of mead from his tankard. "I don't think even Isran knew how perfectly the two of you would do your job."

Sorine nodded in agreement, a small grin on her lips. "He's not kidding," she said. "Half of the time, by the time the recruits reached us, they were either dazed and confused, or scared out of their wits."

Aeros laughed. "Most of the credit goes to Serana here. I might've come up with a few ideas, like the illusionary troll, but she was pure evil." Serana blushed at the compliment, but that didn't stop her from smirking.

"What do you mean?" Sorine asked curiously, echoed by Gunmar.

"Like I said, I was behind the first few tricks, but once she got the hang of it, Serana easily outdid me. With one pair, she turned me into a giant, shadowy figure with red flames for eyes, and had me stalk towards them while speaking in the dragon language. They wound up convinced that I was either the Ghost of Shor, or Alduin given human form. The Breton and the Nord over there," he said, pointing, "she simply turned invisible and snuck up on them, before grabbing both of them by the head and slamming their helmets together." Sorine and Gunmar winced, and noted that, indeed, the two Aeros had pointed out looked more than a little disoriented.

"But the worst one…" Aeros started to say, but stopped and shook his head. "The worst one was the very last pair. I feel bad for those two."

"Why? What did you do, Serana?" Sorine asked, staring wide-eyed at the immortal vampiress sitting across from her. Serana didn't answer, as she was too busy shaking with laughter. Gunmar looked at Aeros questioningly.

"Isran," he said simply, drawing confused looks from both Sorine and Gunmar. "She created an illusion of an enraged Isran and had it chase them all the way up to the first bridge, waving its warhammer wildly while it screamed that all vampires must die."

Gunmar and Sorine's eyes grew wide as they pictured how the two recruits must have reacted when confronted with such a terrifying image. Unable to control themselves, they burst out laughing, joined by both Aeros and Serana.

"So...so that's why those two came screaming up the bridges," Gunmar gasped, wiping tears of mirth out of his eyes. "And why I thought I heard Isran's voice. I now pity your foes more than ever."

The four of them continued to talk and joke about various subjects after that. Aeros was glad to see that both Gunmar and Sorine chose to ignore Serana's vampirism and instead treated her like a friend and comrade. He had been worried that everyone in the order would always hate and fear her, so he was glad to see his fears proven wrong. He smiled wryly, remembering Serana's words back when she had first appeared at Fort Dawnguard. Looks like you were right, Serana, he thought. You really are persuasive.

"What's this?" a voice sneered from behind them. "Is this how we are supposed to fight vampires now? By making friends with it and telling jokes?"

Aeros slowly turned to glance over his shoulder at the speaker. It was Bolond, and a number of the other recruits that did not pass their Trial, all sneering or glaring at him and Serana. He could smell the stench of alcohol on their breath; no doubt they had been trying to drink their failure away.

"Get lost, whelp," he sighed, before facing forward once more. He was not in the mood for a confrontation right now, especially not with a bunch of drunken louts. "I don't have time for you."

"Ha!" Bolond barked. "I should have known a milk-drinker like you would try to avoid facing a real Nord."

"Do you have something to say, whelp?" Aeros growled. "Or are you here purely to annoy me? Perhaps I should throw you in with the trolls, since you seemed to like the last one so much."

Bolond flushed with anger and embarrassment as he recalled the troll in Dead Drop Falls and now realized where it must have originated. "I'm saying you're a traitor to our order, you oathbreaker!" he snarled. "You're soft; why else would you be traveling around Skyrim with a vampire and treating it like an actual person, instead of the monster it is? How a weakling like you could have possibly defeated the World Eater is beyond me. Perhaps it was someone else and you just stole the credit." Several of his companions cheered him on, cruel and hate-filled expressions plastered on their faces, as the alcohol clouded their minds.

The entire room went quiet as everyone listened to the new blood insult the Dragonborn's honor to his face. A few waited in apprehension to see how Aeros would react, while others simply shook their heads in pity; the poor drunken fool had no idea the danger he was in.

Looking at Bolond and his friends now, Aeros realized that this was the same group that he had noticed shooting him and Serana ugly looks before. He should have known it would come to something like this. When Serana had first arrived, Aeros had announced that she was under his protection, as he realized that some of the Dawnguard might wish her harm. His reputation was enough to convince them to respect his decision and trust his judgement, even if some did so rather begrudgingly. Aeros couldn't fault them for being so unwilling though. Many of the Dawnguard had lost family or loved ones to vampires, or had witnessed the results of their cruelty first-hand. These youths though, a large number of them had joined the Dawnguard not for vengeance or a desire to protect the people of Skyrim, but purely because they were drawn by the stories of fighting vampires and monsters, and the glory and honor that they imagined such deeds brought. Whilst training, they had no doubt overheard tales of some of the atrocities committed by vampires, and the stories of loss that many of the Dawnguard possessed. As a result, they inherited all of those feelings of hatred and prejudice. But it was a hatred without cause or rooted in personal experience. From personal experience, Aeros knew that such blind hatred and emotions inevitably led to trouble.

"I swore no oath," he answered, struggling to keep his temper in check and ignoring the insults to his honor. "As for why I'm traveling with a vampire, it's because I can actually see the bigger picture. I think before I act, instead of just blindly killing anything that's different from me, something that seems to be a foreign concept to you fools."

"Oh, I see," Bolond sneered. "Were you seduced by her 'womanly charms?' I suppose even a vampire can warm your bedroll at night, even if it does feel like sleeping with a corpse."

Sorine started to rise angrily to defend Serana, but Gunmar pulled her back down and shook his head silently. Bolond had just crossed a line, Gunmar knew, and he was about to pay the consequences for it.

Hearing Bolond directly insult Serana, Aeros snapped. Flying to his feet, he spun around and seized the other Nord by the throat. There was a roaring in his ears as his anger pulsed through him. The sound seemed to double, as if both the dragon and werewolf within him were crying out for retribution. In a display of inhuman strength, he lifted the other Nord up off the ground with a single arm and slammed him against a wall. "You wanted to piss me off?" he growled. "Well, congratulations, it worked, you've woken the dragon. Now let me make something very clear to you, something that even a fool like you should be able to get through your thick skull. If I ever hear you or one of your comrades insulting Serana or her honor again, let alone try to harm her, I will make you suffer until you wish that I had fed you to the trolls. I wouldn't recommend testing me, unless you really want to why it is that I'm the one who defeated Alduin."

He held Bolond there for several long, tension-filled moments, before making a noise of disgust and releasing his grip. The young man fell to the ground, clutching at his throat as he gasped for breath. His friends, who had stood there paralyzed by the overwhelming presence of Aeros's anger, rushed to his side to make sure he was all right.

Bolond glared murderously at Aeros, and as he turned away, pulled his war axe free and charged at his unprotected back. Hearing the sound of a weapon being drawn, Aeros sidestepped as Bolong slashed wildly. Grabbing his arm as he stumbled past, Aeros twisted Bolond's wrist sharply, resulting in the other man howling in pain as he dropped his axe. Charging at Aeros once again, he threw a sharp hook with his uninjured left hand. Ducking under the blow, Aeros slammed his own fist into the Nord's stomach, and tripped him with his foot as he went past, sending him sprawling to the ground. Scrambling to his feet, the enraged youth charged him once more, blinded by rage. Sighing to himself at the man's predictable attacks, Aeros waited until Bolond drew close before grabbing him by the arm and, in a single motion, throwing him onto a table, hard enough that the force of the impact actually split the table in half, as well as driving the breath from the youth's lungs. Lying there amongst the wooden fragments of the table, Bolond still refused to give up, and again tried to climb to his feet. He was stopped when Aeros put a boot on his chest and pinned him to the ground.

"Stay down, whelp," he said, his voice dangerously calm. Shifting his gaze, he glared at the other recruits; they fled at the terrifying look in his eyes, leaving Bolond to fend for himself.

Leaving the fallen youth where he lay, Aeros turned towards where Sorine, Gunmar, and Serana still sat. "Serana, I'm going to finish comparing the maps of Ancestor Glade, and then I'll be turning in for the night." He looked at Sorine and Gunmar. "Serana and I will be leaving early in the morning for Ancestor Glade, and then hopefully for wherever Auriel's Bow is hidden, so expect us to be gone for several days, if not a few weeks."

Nodding to the other Dawnguard members in the room, he turned and left. The room was silent for several long minutes after his departure, everyone still in shock at what had just happened. Eventually though, the conversation and celebration resumed, and two of Bolond's friends returned to help carry him away. At a table in a corner of the room, a blond Nord and a wood elf with auburn hair sat laughing.

"I told them that would happen," said Agmaer, chuckling. He had tried to warn Bolond's group against provoking Aeros, but they did not heed his advice.

"And you were right," agreed Fauridil with a smile. "But we both knew that they weren't going to listen to you. At least they provided us with some entertainment for the our first night as full members of the Dawnguard."

"It's a shame so few of us made it though," Agmaer lamented. "It would have been nice for some of our friends to be able to join us in celebrating tonight."

Fauridil shrugged her shoulders. "Maybe so, but I know for a fact that I'm glad that neither Bolond or any of his ilk made it. Still, now's not the time for such thoughts. Like you said, we should be celebrating our new status as true members of the order." She raised her tankard. "Cheers! To the Dawnguard!"

"To the Dawnguard!" Agmaer echoed, as they clinked their tankards together.

* * *

\- The Next Morning -

Aeros awoke shortly after dawn. He got dressed and buckled on his armor before heading downstairs to search for something to eat. Very few of the Dawnguard were up and about in the fortress so early in the morning, and so he had the hallways almost to himself. As he entered the dining hall, he noted that someone had cleared away the ruined remnants of the table he had broken the night before when he threw Bolond on it. Aeros would have almost thought he had imagined the entire altercation, if it wasn't for the fact that he could remember it so clearly, as well as the surge of anger he had felt when he heard the other man insulting Serana. Determined to not ruin his good mood, he pushed such thoughts aside and focused on his search for food. He had just finished preparing some eggs and porridge when Serana came downstairs, still slightly groggy. Grabbing some food for herself, she sat down next to him.

"Morning," he greeted her. "How'd you sleep last night?"

She shrugged. "Better than some nights, I suppose. But even with my room right next to yours, I still had trouble falling asleep. Which makes sense, given that I'm the sole vampire in a fort full of vampire hunters. That doesn't exactly lend itself to a restful sleep, not when you're worried that some of them might try and kill you in your sleep."

"I'm sorry, Serana," Aeros apologized. "I didn't really think how uncomfortable it would be for you to spend the night here. And I doubt the little display last night did anything to ease your worries."

"You mean Bolond and the others?" Serana questioned. She snorted derisively. "Please. I could easily handle that lot on my own if they tried anything. Although, I will say I was surprised by your reaction last night. I didn't think his words would bother you that much."

Aeros shifted uncomfortably. "They didn't," he admitted. "Not at first. I've had to deal with others like him before. But when he started insulting you…I don't know, I just snapped. I just couldn't stand listening to anyone talk about you that way."

Changing the topic, he said, "Anyways, once we get on the road, we won't have to deal with him or the rest of the Dawnguard again for a while at least."

Serana nodded in agreement, but her mind was still thinking about what he had just said. Why do I feel so...overjoyed to hear him say that? she wondered, confused by her own emotions. Why do I feel warm at the idea of him trying to defend me? They were questions that she had no answers to.

After both of them finished eating, they left the dining hall and went back upstairs to grab the rest of their gear. As they came back downstairs, they found Sorine and Gunmar waiting for them in the fort's main chamber. Aeros glanced questioningly at them. Neither of them had guard duty, so the only other reason why they would be up at this time was if they wanted to catch him and Serana before they left.

His suspicions were confirmed when Sorine spoke up. "Do you have a moment?" She asked. "Gunmar and I have been talking, and, well, we're slightly worried."

"About what?" He asked. Part of him really wanted to get moving towards the Ancestor Glade, but he knew that a few minutes more or less wouldn't make much of a difference in a trip that was going to take several days. Besides, if Sorine and Gunmar were worried about something, it was probably a wise decision to find out what it was.

"We both realize that if Isran's even allowed us in here, and contacted so many of his old acquaintances from the Vigilants, he must be really concerned. And if he's that concerned, the situation must be pretty bad. Make sense?"

"You're worried about what we're up against?" Aeros guessed.

She nodded. "Yes. These vampires are a new threat, and a truly deadly one. You and Serana have been inside their castle. Can either of you honestly say we have nothing to worry about?"

Aeros couldn't, and neither could Serana. Even though he had been in Castle Volkihar for only a little bit, and hadn't seen much of the place besides the great hall, the number of vampires and death hounds he had seen was more enough to worry even him. "No, you're right," he said. "So did you have something in mind?"

"Gunmar and I both agree that even with the increase in our numbers, it's still not enough. We're going to need the help of an old acquaintance of ours, a man named Florentius. We were hoping you could track him down while you're out there looking for Auriel's Bow."

"Who's Florentius?" Serana questioned.

Gunmar, who had been quiet thus far, cleared his throat. "He's a priest of Arkay. Well, he was. It's a bit more complicated than that. He's a little eccentric, but he's trustworthy and possesses a number of skills that we could definitely make use of."

"So where can we find him?" Aeros asked. Hopefull, it was on the way to the Ancestor Glade, or at least not too far out of the way.

Sorine and Gunmar glanced sheepishly at each other. "Well, that's the thing," Sorine said. "We don't know where he is. Haven't seen him in years. I think he had regular contact with the Vigilants, and I know Isran kept track of them…so maybe you could ask Isran if he knows anything? Just keep in mind that he...well, he might not like the idea."

Aeros laughed. "When does Isran ever like anything other than killing vampires? Don't worry, we'll find Florentius."

Sorine and Gunmar thanked him for his help before they both moved off to get back to various tasks. Serana and Aeros meanwhile, climbed back up the stairs to the second floor of the fort, hoping that the leader of the Dawnguard was already up and about. They found Isran leaning against the railing, watching the other Dawnguard members who were awake begin their tasks for the day. If he heard them approaching, he gave no indication, and continued to look down below.

"Isran, we need your help. We need to find someone named Florentius," Aeros said after a few moments of silence.

That got a reaction out of the man, and he turned towards them with a scowl. "Who said something, Sorine or Gunmar?" he asked irritably. "I thought they'd have learned their lesson by now. I don't trust that man, and I don't want him here."

Aeros sighed. Isran never made it easy. "Sorine thought we'd need his help. You know as well as I that the vampires aren't growing any weaker, and that we need all the help we can get."

"I suppose she's right." Isran admitted begrudgingly. "I shouldn't let my personal feelings get in the way. You want to find him you said? Well, the last I heard of him, he was aiding the Vigilants of Stendarr at Ruunvald. He may still be there."

Fortunately for Aeros and Serana, Ruunvald wasn't too far out of their way. It was less than a day's ride from Fort Dawnguard, so they could stop by there first before they headed out for the Pine Forest. "Thanks, Isran," Aeros said, but Isran only grunted in reply. But as Aeros turned to leave, he called out to him. "If you do find that man, tell him if he can maintain some appearance of normalcy, I'll allow him to stay. Otherwise he's gone."

"I'll let him know," Aeros promised, wondering what Isran meant by that as he walked towards where Serana was waiting.

"So one more stop before we find the bow?" Serana asked.

"Um, well…" Aeros stammered, not sure how to respond. He had promised Sorine and Gunmar that he would help, but he hadn't even bothered asking Serana how she felt on the matter.

Serana laughed. "Relax, Aeros. I know we need to find the bow, but I know just as well as you that the Dawnguard could use more help. Besides, Sorine and Gunmar are my friends too, and they asked us for our help. So it looks like we're off to Ruunvald!"

She led the way down the stairs. Aeros stared at her for a moment, bemused. Finally though, he just laughed and shook his head, before following her downstairs.

* * *

\- Ruunvald -

Like Aeros had predicted, they reached the base of Ruunvald before the day was over. Leaving their horses tied up down below, they ascended the slope and eventually found themselves standing in front of the set of doors leading to the excavation site. It looked like a campsite had been set up outside the doors, as there were several tents nearby and the remnants of a fire, but it didn't look like anyone had used it for at least several days.

"Is this it?" Serana questioned.

"It should be," Aeros replied, "At least according to what those people in Shor's Stone told us. But where is everybody? No one's been here for days."

"Maybe they're all inside?" Serana suggested. "It probably gets cold up here in the mountains."

"Maybe…" Aeros said, not convinced. Something seemed off about the entire situation, but he wasn't sure what.

"Only one way to find out," Serana told him.

He nodded. "You're right. Just be careful around these Vigilants. I doubt they'll react well to a vampire showing up." Serana nodded in understanding, and they opened the doors and entered Ruunvald.

It took Aeros a moment for his eyes to adjust to the darkness, especially after how bright it had been outside. When he could finally see again, he glanced over at Serana to make sure she was there. Her eyes glowed in the darkness as she returned the look.

The two of them made their way down the passage, further into the excavation site. After a while, they started to hear the sound of someone using a pickaxe. Rounding a corner, they found a handful of Vigilants mining away. Aeros and Serana both straightened and relaxed. It seemed that Aeros's feelings of misgiving had been misplaced.

"Excuse me," he said, approaching the Vigilants, "I'm looking for a man named Florentius. I'm told he's a priest of Arkay. You haven't happened to see him, ha-" It was a flicker of movement that he caught out of the corner of his eye, something that most people wouldn't have even noticed, but Aeros instinctively jumped back. A crossbow bolt flew by him, buzzing angrily as it passed through the spot where his head had been a split second before.

He turned angrily on the Vigilants, only to find a sword descending towards his head. Luckily, Serana saved him this time, and a timely ice spike crashed into the man's head.

"What are you idiots doing?" he yelled at the Vigilants, who had all drawn their weapons now and were slowly approaching the two of them. "We're on your side!"

"Aeros!" Serana said as she hit another Vigilant with a spell. "Look at their eyes! Something is controlling them!"

Serana was right, Aeros realized. The Vigilants had a fanatical look in their eyes, but there was also a magical haze around their head. He wished there was something he could do to break whatever spell was holding them, but he knew he didn't have that luxury. He drew his swords and charged forward.

Aeros and Serana fought their way farther into the excavation site, battling possessed Vigilants the entire way. Finally, they reached an area where they could take a break. As they regained their breath, Aeros noticed a journal on a table nearby. Curious, and hoping to figure out what was causing all of the Vigilants to act like this, he started flipping through it.

"Anything helpful?" Serana asked.

"I don't know. It all seems relatively normal until recently. It details the progress of the excavation and the morale of the Vigilants, and then all of a sudden it's nothing but praises and prayers to someone or something called Minorne… I'm guessing this Minorne might be behind whatever's happened to the Vigilants."

"Then let's go and ask Minorne," Serana said with a smirk. "Maybe she'll even answer our questions before she attacks us."

Aeros chuckled at that. "Somehow, I doubt it."

The two of them continued further into the ruins and finally found themselves in a large chamber. At the opposite end was a raised altar at the top of a flight of steps, with some kind of cage off or sealed off platform off to one side. There was also a vampire and a Vigilant guarding it.

"I'm guessing the vampire is Minorne." Serana said. "Wanna go ahead and ask her if she's friendly?" Unfortunately, it seemed Aeros and Serana wouldn't get to ask Minorne any questions, because as soon as she noticed them, she and the Vigilant attacked.

"That's probably a no," Aeros replied, stepping forward towards the charging vampire. As she approached, the vampire, Minorne fired a blast of magic from the end of an ancient looking staff.

"You will kneel before me, and worship the beauty of Minorne!" she cried.

Aeros ducked under the strange spell, feeling it pass over his head. "Sorry," he replied. "But I don't kneel for anyone. YOL TOOR SHUL!"

A wall of fire flew from Aeros's mouth towards Minorne. With a shriek, she tried to throw herself out of the way, but was too late. The flames wrapped around her and within seconds she was nothing more than ash and bones.

Serana had also dispatched the Vigilant with ease and was walking back to join Aeros. "Why is it everywhere we go, people try to kill you?"

"It must be my charismatic personality," Aeros quipped. "Remind me to take you back to Whiterun or Solitude, where people actually like me. Now, what do you say we go and let good old Florentius free?"

Examining the cage, they saw an Imperial sitting cross-legged inside, but he seemed to be in some kind of trance or prayer, and was oblivious to their presence. Searching for the keys to the cage, they found them laying atop the altar. As they unlocked the cage, the Imperial stood up. He was dark-skinned, with extremely short hair and a well-trimmed beard. He wore the robes of a priest, with the symbol of Arkay on the cuffs and collar. Despite this, he looked to be well-acquainted with battle, as evidenced by the steel plate boots and gauntlets he wore.

"I knew it!" he exclaimed. "I knew Arkay would save me. I asked for help, and he sent you! You are a very welcome addition to this dreary place, my friends."

"Glad to hear it. I'm Aeros, and this is Serana." Aeros said, holding out his hand. "I'm guessing you're Florentius?"

"Yes, of course!" said Florentius as he shook Aeros's hand. "I must say, I owe both you and Arkay a great deal, Aeros and Serana. I'm sure I'll manage to repay him later, but you… What can I do to thank you?"

"Umm…" Aeros said hesitantly. Why did this guy talk as if Arkay was an old friend? "You could meet us at Fort Dawnguard. Isran needs your help."

Florentius blinked. "Isran? My help?" Now he sounded irritated. "Is this...some kind of a joke? Did Arkay put you up to this? Let me tell you, Isran's done nothing but mock me. He's never given me the respect I deserve."

"Please, we need your help." Serana asked as politely as she could. "The vampires are growing worse, and we could use someone like you on our side." Aeros meanwhile was once again wondering how it was that Isran always managed to piss off every single person he met.

Florentius shook his head stubbornly. "Look, I've just gotten myself out of quite a mess here, in case you haven't noticed, and while I appreciate your help, I…" He trailed off, and seemed to be listening to something neither of them could hear. "What's that?" he asked, but it didn't seem to be directed at them.

"No, that's not what I…" Again he stopped and seemed to be listening to someone else. Aeros and Serana looked at each other. He wasn't actually talking to someone, was he?

"Yes, but…" He sighed. "Are you sure? Really? Fine." Florentius turned his attention on them again, and seemed resigned. "Arkay says it's a good idea for me to go," he told them. "I don't agree, but he's not the sort of fellow you can just ignore. I'll see you at Fort Dawnguard."

Aeros tried to tell him how to get there, but Florentius just waved him off. "Don't worry," he assured them. "Arkay will show me the way."

And just like that, he left.

Their goal achieved, Aeros and Serana also decided to leave, although neither said anything for a long period of time, still trying to figure out what had just happened. They were still like this when they reached the mine entrance.

Shaking himself out out of his musings, Aeros was the first to break the silence. "It looks like that's done!" he said cheerfully. "With Florentius rescued, we can finally get back to reaching the Ancestor Glade and learning where Auriel's Bow is hidden!" Eager to get back on the trail, he set off along the path leading down the slope.

Serana followed him, but couldn't help but voice something she had been wondering about since they rescued Florentius. "Hey, Aeros?"

"Yes?" he replied, still walking at a brisk pace.

"That Florentius...you don't think he actually talks with Arkay do you?"

"Serana, I've seen a lot since I first came to Skyrim. I've witnessed the return of the dragons, helped uncover and stop an artifact that had the potential to unravel the fabric of the Mundus itself, and fought the Nordic god of destruction in Sovngarde. So, I can honestly tell you that I have no idea!"

They both burst out laughing, enjoying one of Skyrim's rare peaceful moments.

* * *

Author's Notes: Sorry again about the long wait. But here it is, part eight of Road to the Dawn! This is actually the second to last chapter of this arc, with the last chapter being a version of Unseen Visions. The reason for this is because I felt that the final two quests of the DLC deserved more than one chapter each, and because I didn't want to make this arc too long. Plus, I've got some ideas for Kindred Judgement.

Edit: Poor Aeros, having his bath stolen by a vampire. So as shown with both their stay in Whiterun and the recruits' Trial, Serana is incredibly mischievous, and has a wicked sense of humor, to the frequent dismay of Aeros. I also wanted to show that not everyone in the Dawnguard was happy about Serana's presence, something that is never really depicted in the game (well, besides Isran, but he's grumpy about everything).

Characters:

Lydia: Housecarl of Whiterun. Out of all the housecarls, she has been with Aeros the longest, followed by Jordis. Due to Aeros's tendency to treat his housecarls more like friends than servants, she has relaxed somewhat in her attitude and behavior around her Thane, but still remains fiercely loyal.

Aela the Huntress: Female werewolf and member of the Companions, as well as a member of the Circle. She is extremely skilled with the bow, and is one of the Companion's fiercest warriors. She is the de facto leader of the Companions whenever Aeros is gone. Let's just say her and Aeros have a...ahem, past relationship.

Vilkas: The twin brother of Farkas, it's joked that Vilkas possesses the smarts of Ysgramor himself. He is typically calm and level-headed, and is a devastating warrior on the battlefield. Like the rest of the Circle, he is a werewolf, although he does have some second thoughts on the matter and tries to rarely heed the call of the beast blood.

Farkas: The twin brother of Farkas, the Companions like to joke that his brother got Ysgramor's smarts, while Farkas inherited his strength. Despite this, he is actually quite perceptive and intuitive, although he generally allows his brother to do the thinking. A skilled greatsword wielder, he is one of the Companions' fiercest warriors. Like Aela and his brother, Farkas possesses the beast blood, although in recent times he has sought to honor Kodlak's memory by resisting the blood's call.

Beleval: A female Bosmer and member of the Dawnguard. She is actually the only female Bosmer companion in the base version of the game. She is close friends with Ingjard.

Ingjard: A Nord woman and member of the Dawnguard. She and Beleval are close friends and will frequently double up on patrols or hunts together.

Celann: A Breton and member of the Dawnguard. Years ago, he served alongside Isran as a member of the Vigilants of Stendarr. However, both he and Isran were dissatisfied with the way the order ran things, and left to form their own partnership. They eventually parted ways, but Celann was one of the first people offered a place in the reformed Dawnguard.

Bolond: OC. Hungarian for "fool" or "foolish". A rash, young Nord who joined the Dawnguard not so much to fight vampires but more for the glory he thought it would bring. He and his friends have inherited the other members' hatred for vampires, but are blinded by it. They were outraged when they learned that Aeros had allowed a vampire into Fort Dawnguard and was aiding and acting friendly towards it.

Fauridil: OC. A redheaded Bosmer who joined the Dawnguard to help protect the people of Skyrim and end the vampire threat. She has proven to be quite skilled and has quickly picked up the skills necessary to fight vampires. She gets along well with some of the other recruits, notably Agmaer, but has nothing but contempt for Bolond and his cohorts.

Florentius Baenius: Madmen or the best friend of a god? Your guess is as good as mine.

Minorne: An Altmer vampire that used the Staff of Ruunvald to take control of the Vigilants' minds and have them worship her as a goddess. When Florentius resisted her control and refused to submit himself to her, she had him imprisoned, to either feed off of him or to kill him.

Dragon Language:

Tiid Klo Ul = Time Sand Eternity (Slow Time Shout)

Yol Toor Shul = Fire Inferno Sun (Fire Breath Shout)


	9. Road to the Dawn 9

Road to the Dawn 9

Serana sat in the shade as Aeros refilled their waterskins from a stream. It had been several days now since they rescued Florentius from Ruunvald, and they only just entered the great Pine Forest that stretched across both Falkreath and the southern reaches of Whiterun. To Serana, it felt completely different from the woods of the Rift.

The trees in the Rift had been of all kinds, maples, oaks, birch, and countless more, and according to Aeros, they made for quite the sight in autumn when their leaves changed colors. Despite how wide a space the forests in the Rift covered, it always felt open, with the trees spaced relatively far apart from each other. By contrast, the Pine Forest felt dense and mysterious, as if the forest held countless forgotten secrets that it would never fully yield no matter how long you spent under its branches. The trees that grew here felt ancient, and were almost all pine and other evergreens, growing so thick together that sometimes it was difficult to see what lay just ahead. Adding to it all, many sections of the forest seemed to have a thick mist that never fully dissipated, its tendrils curling about their feet as they walked.

"I hope we reach Ancestor Glade soon," she said as she reclined against a tree.

Aeros took a drink from the refilled waterskin before glancing at Serana. "We should be close, if that location we found on the maps is correct." He tossed her one of the skins, and she drank from it gratefully.

"I just hope this 'ritual' that Dexion mentioned actually works. I have no idea what we're going to do if it doesn't."

"It'll work," Aeros reassured her. "But we're not going to find out just sitting here. Come on, we should get going again."

"If I remember right, weren't you the one who wanted to take a nap in that meadow back there?" Serana asked with a grin, but she climbed to her feet anyways.

But as Serana walked over to join Aeros, she suddenly felt light headed and stumbled. The only thing that stopped her from falling to the ground was Aeros's quick reflexes. He caught her as she tripped and helped her steady herself.

"Are you all right, Serana?" he asked in concern.

Serana gave him a small smile as she stood back up with his help. "Yeah...yeah, I'm fine. I just got a little dizzy, that's all. Thanks for catching me though."

Aeros smiled. "No problem." He was still concerned though. "Are you sure you're all right?"

"Aeros, I'm fine. Now come on, we're wasting daylight."

Aeros watched as she climbed back on her horse and headed off in the direction where they had determined the glade to be in, and she did seem to be fine. Finally, he laughed at himself for worrying so much over nothing. Mounting his own horse, he rode after her before she left him behind completely.

"Hey, Serana! Wait up!"

Finding the Ancestor Glade turned out to not be as easy as they had hoped. The Pine Forest was huge, and there were very few easily noticeable landmarks to help them orient themselves. One of the few hints they had to go on was a vague passage that they had found in a tattered and aged book back in Fort Dawnguard.

"A place of power and sight, the winged spirits of the ancestors keep eternal watch over the souls of the dead from this glade that lies high above the troubles of mortal men," was what the passage had read. As near as Aeros and Serana could tell, the fragment about "the souls of the dead" was referring to Falkreath and its ancient graveyard. The second half of the passage seemed to indicate that the glade was hidden somewhere in the mountains overlooking Falkreath.

Following this hint, they had prowled along the base of the Jerall Mountains, searching for some sign of a path or ancient trail marker. But as night began to fall, they agreed to stop for the night and resume their search in the morning.

So after setting up camp, and eating a brief meal, both Aeros and Serana crawled into their sleeping rolls and quickly fell asleep.

* * *

\- Midnight -

Wisps of steam and smoke rose from the peak of the Throat of the World, while the world below trembled at the power emanating from the summit. Little of the snow that had once covered the summit remained, melted by the intense heat of the Thu'um. The now exposed stone and what was left of the snow was spattered with blood, a mix of mortal and dragon. Overhead, the sky rumbled ominously, but no more meteors fell.

Aeros was barely able to stand, panting for breath. His armor and clothes were scorched and rent, and his blood dripped onto the rocks at his feet from numerous wounds. Lydia was in little better condition. But neither of them relinquished their holds on their weapons as they stared warily at the black scaled dragon in front of them. The pitch black scales were slick and shiny with blood from the dragon's own wounds. His eyes were burning red sockets of hellfire, but there was a note of begrudging respect in them. A whirlwind of blue energy swirled about him, seeming to press down on the dovah.

"Meyz mul, Dovahkiin," Alduin rumbled. "You have become strong. But I am Al-du-in, Firstborn of Aka! Mulaagi zok lot! I cannot be slain here, by you or anyone else! You cannot prevail against me. I will outlast you...mortal!" The blue swirl of energy vanished, and with a beat of his powerful wings, the World Eater lifted off the ground and fled, disappearing to the east. The dark storm clouds overhead dissipated, allowing the sun to shine through once more.

Aeros slumped to the ground, laughing in relief. Lydia had a similar smile on her face as she all but fell onto her back. The peak shook slightly as Paarthurnax perched on the remnants of a Word Wall, the ancient dragon looking even worse for wear as a result of the battle.

"We did it!" Aeros said, almost in disbelief. "We fought Alduin the World Eater and defeated him!"

"Lot krongrah," rumbled Paarthurnax. You truly have the Voice of a dovah. Alduin's allies will think twice after this victory."

"But it's not over yet," Aeros pointed out, the logical side of his mind still working despite his feeling of elation. "I need to find out where Alduin went. That's the only way to settle this once and for all."

The aged dovah nodded his head in agreement. "Yes… One of his allies could tell us. Motmahus. But it will not be so easy to...convince one of them to betray him. Perhaps-"

The rest of whatever he was going to say was lost as the wind began to howl fiercely. A great shadow swept over them, and everything turned a blood red color. Aeros looked up, and his eyes widened in disbelief. Where once the sun had been, now hung something almost resembling a solar eclipse. A black void gaped where the sun had once been, and seemed to draw in all the light around it as a crimson ring circled ominously about it. It was a terrifying image, something that Aeros could not even begin to understand; somehow though, he knew that what he was witnessing heralded the end of the world as he knew it, and the birth of something much worse.

Tearing his eyes away from the nightmare hanging in the sky above, Aeros found that he now stood alone at the top of the Throat of the World. Lydia and Paarthurnax had vanished. Looking down at himself, he saw that the ruined remnants of his armor were gone, replaced instead by a strange set of armor that looked as if it had been forged from the bones of dragons. His hands gripped the hilts of two blades forged from the same material; despite the fact that he had never seen them before in his life, they felt familiar in his hands.

"Lydia?" he called, confused by what was going on. "Paarthurnax?" But as he looked around, there was still no sign of his housecarl or the aged dovah.

"You have failed, Dragonborn!" a voice sneered. Aeros spun in the direction of the voice. Where Alduin had stood only a few minutes ago, now stood a tall and dark man dressed in strange clothing, wearing a black breastplate and a black cape with crimson lining. He held a blood red katana in his right hand, its tip dripping blood onto the ground. He stared at Aeros with glowing eyes as he smiled triumphantly.

"Your allies have fallen, Dragonborn. They died trying to buy you and my daughter time to stop me. Fools!" he sneered.

Aeros stood rooted in place, unable to move or speak. All he could do was look at this man with a growing sense of trepidation. All around him, he heard the sounds of fighting, and the screams and cries of the dying.

"I should thank you," the man continued. "In your attempt to stop me, you delivered the very things I needed to accomplish my plan. Thanks to you, the sacrifice has been met, and the Tyranny of the Sun is complete!"

At the man's feet materialized a body. It was a woman, with raven-black hair and alabaster skin, and the most mesmerizing eyes Aeros had ever seen, a beautiful reddish-gold color that seemed to glow with their own inner light. But now, that pale skin seemed deathly white, and the light in those eyes was fading. Underneath her body, a pool of blood was slowly spreading. Despite the fact that he had never seen her before, she seemed incredibly familiar to him, and he felt his heart stop at the sight of her on the ground, bleeding. He felt as if he had failed somehow, like it had been his job to protect her.

"Aeros…" she gasped. There was blood on her lips, and she was struggling to draw breath. She reached for him weakly. He could only look on, unable to move, as her hand reached desperately for him. Then, with one last shuddering breath, her chest stilled and the light of her eyes disappeared entirely. Her hand fell limply to the ground, still reaching for him.

"Serana!" Aeros yelled in anguish, finally recognizing the woman before him, as a sudden wave of overwhelming agony and loss brought him to his knees. He stared emptily at Serana's body, his spirit broken and his will to live extinguished. He could hear Harkon laughing cruelly at the broken shell of a man now kneeling before him, and could sense more than see the crimson edged blade rising, before it descended down towards his neck.

Aeros awoke in a cold sweat, the sounds of battle still ringing in his ears. It took him several minutes to realize that it was not the remnants of his nightmare he was hearing, but the sound of the alarm spell he had cast before he had fallen asleep, to alert him if anything tried to sneak up on him and Serana while they slept.

He quickly grabbed ahold of one of his swords, which he had purposefully left within reach, and drew it as he got to his feet. Extinguishing the spell, he scanned their surroundings, searching for whatever might have triggered the spell. But only darkness met his gaze.

"Aeros?" Serana mumbled, disturbed by either his spell or him stirring. "What is it?"

"It's nothing," he told her. "Bad dream, that's all. Go back to sleep."

He waited until he heard her breathing deepen, as she fell back into a peaceful slumber. Only once he was certain that she was asleep once again did he speak. "Laas," he whispered. All around him, spots of red flame leaped into existence, each one revealing a denizen of the forest. By focusing on each individual flame, a representation of a creature's life force, he was able to get a rough feeling of the creature to which it belonged. He detected numerous smaller animals and birds, as well as several larger creatures, such as a sleeping bear, or a pack of wolves just returning from the hunt. He even sensed a herd of deer bedded down in a clearing not too far off. But there was nothing nearby that might have triggered his spell. That more than anything made him uneasy.

Unable to fall back asleep as a result of both his unease and his nightmare, he resolved to keep watch. Finding a nearby tree, he sat down with his back against the trunk, his sword cradled against his shoulder as he kept vigil over their camp and the sleeping form of Serana, his mind preoccupied with thoughts of his nightmare, and what it might mean.

* * *

\- The Next Morning -

When Serana awoke just after dawn, she was surprised to find Aeros still awake, leaning against the trunk of a tree. She remembered waking up the night before when she had felt him stir, and him saying something about a bad dream, but she had thought he would have gone back to sleep like her. Instead, he looked as if he had been up all night. Despite that fact, he was as alert as ever, and said good morning when he saw that she was awake.

After a quick breakfast, they broke down camp and set off once more, determined to find Ancestor Glade before the end of the day. The trees were so thick that they had to travel on foot, pulling their horses along behind them by their leads. As they walked, Serana noticed that Aeros seemed even more watchful of their surroundings than normal, as if he was worried that something might be lurking nearby.

"What is it?" she finally asked. "You've been searching for something ever since we left camp."

"We're being watched," he said. Serana stared at him in shock.

"What do you mean?" she asked. "I haven't seen anything to indicate that there's anybody else in this stretch of woods besides us."

"Last night, the alarm spell I set was triggered," he explained. "Whatever caused it, they had disappeared by the time I woke up."

"Maybe it was an animal?" Serana suggested. He shook his head.

"I don't think so. When I tried using a Shout to find the source, there was nothing nearby, not even animals. How many beings can you think of that can move fast enough to avoid detection, even by magic?"

Serana's eyes widened. "You think it was a vampire?" Aeros nodded, and her expression became grim. "Hopefully, it's just one from a nearby coven, but we should hurry up and find the glade; my father's men might be closer than either of us thought."

Aeros nodded, and they picked up their pace, now more determined to find Ancestor Glade than ever.

* * *

\- Ancestor Glade -

After an hour of searching, they finally found the remnants of an ancient trail marker, and the barest hint of a path leading up the mountain. Following the path, they ascended the mountain and found the entrance to a cave at the end of it. A curtain of moss hung in front of the entrances, fluttering slightly from a breath of wind that seemed to emanate from inside.

"This must be the place," Serana said as they stood in front of the cave entrance. Down below, they could just barely see the city of Falkreath through the trees.

"Looks like it," Aeros agreed. "It's matches what we found in those maps and books." Come on, let's see what's inside."

The two of them entered the cave, pausing to let their eyes adjust. When they did, it was almost a let down.

"Hmph...not very impressive is it?" Serana said in disappointment, and Aeros couldn't help but agree. They had both been expecting some sort of mysterious and mystical place where the Elder Scrolls could be read. But what they found was just a regular old cave with a bit of local flora growing inside.

Still, they didn't just give up. Hoping to find something that could aid them in finding Auriel's Bow, the two of them began slowly picking their way across the ground.

"If this ends up being a wasted trip, your friend Dexion and I are going to have some words when we get back," Serana muttered under her breath. Aeros was suddenly very concerned for Dexion's well-being.

Luckily for Dexion, as they neared the far end of the cave, they again felt a breath of air, coming from the right side of the cave. Curious, they climbed up the ledge, and found a passage hidden in far right corner that led further in. Having no better options, and curious as to where the passage led, they decided to follow it. As they emerged from the other end of the tunnel, both Aeros and Serana stopped dead, staring about them in amazement.

"By the gods," Serana whispered in wonder. "Look at this place. We must be the first people to step foot here in centuries; I doubt there's any other place like this in Skyrim." She gazed around in awe. "It's beautiful." Aeros nodded mutely.

Instead of emerging into another part of the cave, they found themselves instead in a hidden glade, completely enclosed by rock, separated from the rest of Skyrim. All around them, trees and flowers flourished. A large shallow pool of water lay in the center of the glade, fed by several natural springs, as well as a waterfall that cascaded down the far wall. Moths fluttered about through the air, and a single pillar of sunlight shone lazily down onto the center of the glade. The entire place gave off a feeling of peace and tranquility, unlike anything either Aeros or Serana had experienced before.

The two of them slowly descended down the stone steps, still wrapped in awe at the beauty of the place, and trying to take in everything all at once As they followed the path leading towards the center of the glade, they passed under a series of ancient stone archways, their feet splashing lightly in the shallow water. In the center of the pool of water stood a small island, ringed by what looked like cherry blossom trees. In the center of the island stood a great stone monument. The monument was shaped like the bottom half of a circle stood on end, with a smaller ring nestled within. Inside the stone ring floated an oddly shaped knife.

Glancing questioningly at Serana, Aeros reached out and removed the knife from the ring. As he pulled it free from the space it had floated in, he felt its weight settle into his hands. He considered the odd shape of the thing, trying to guess its purpose.

It was unlike any knife he had seen before, with two carved wood handles, one at either end with the blade stretching between them. Intricate patterns were carved on the handles, while the blade itself seemed to curve down and towards him slightly.

"Well, we got the knife," Serana said from behind him. "Now all we need to do is track down one of those Canticle Trees. Actually, I think that's what these are." She gestured all around them to the trees that Aeros had mistaken for cherry blossom trees.

"And then what?" he asked her. "Because I honestly have no idea what to do with this thing."

Serana laughed. "Well, if I were a betting woman, I'd say it was a scraper of some sort. Mother had something similar back when she tended the courtyard gardens to scrape moss and fungus off of the trees. That one's far nicer though...almost ceremonial."

Deciding that she knew better than he did, Aeros walked over to the nearest Canticle Tree. Up close, he could see that while it might have resembled a cherry blossom, its appearance differed slightly. Both the leaves and the bark also seemed to give off a rather sweet smell. Shrugging, Aeros began carefully scraping some of the bark off the tree.

"Hope the moths like that bark as much as Dexion said they would," Serana said as he stepped back with the bark in hand.

Aeros approached a nearby group of moths, expecting them to simply fly away like they normally would. Instead, as soon as he got close, they stopped and immediately begin circling around him, attracted by the sweet smell of the bark. As they did, the entire glade seemed to brighten, illuminated by a golden light. He also felt as if time seemed to slow down ever so slightly around him.

Serana laughed at how quickly the moths swarmed around Aeros, and at the bemused look on his face. "Look at them...they've definitely taken a liking to you," she said in amusement. Her voice sounded distorted slightly to Aeros, as if he was hearing her from the end of a long tunnel. "And unless I'm seeing things, you're starting to...glimmer. I think we need to gather more moths though. Something tells me we'll know when we can read the Scrolls."

"You're probably right," Aeros said in agreement. They began slowly walking around the glade, gathering moths as they went.

"You're really starting to glow now," Serana said, having to squint her eyes just to look at Aeros. A bubble of light surrounded him, growing with each group of moths they collected. It almost made him look like a god, surrounded by a nimbus of light.

"You should see what it's like on my end," Aeros answered. "Everything looks even more breathtaking than before, almost otherworldly. Especially-" He clamped his lips shut suddenly. Serana stared at him curiously.

"Especially what?" She asked.

Especially you, Aeros finished in his head, though he didn't dare to say it out loud. Illuminated by the golden light permeating the glade, Serana looked stunning. In Aeros's eyes, she looked more beautiful than Dibella herself.

He shook his head in answer to Serana's question. "Here," he said instead, "see for yourself."

Before she could protest, he pulled her into the bubble of light, and held her close. Serana gazed about her in awe. Standing inside the bubble of light, everything had taken on a soft, golden glow, and she could make out even the most minute of details. "Oh, wow," she breathed. "This is breathtaking. I'm glad you're here with me, Aeros." Aeros nodded mutely in agreement, but Serana never noticed that he wasn't looking at the glade around them.

The moths fluttered around the both of them now as they continued circling the glade. As they were surrounded by yet another group of moths, the pillar of light in the center of the glade seemed to pulse and double in size.

"Whoa!" Serana yelled in surprise. "I think that might have been what we were waiting for. Come on, let's head over there and see if we can read the Scrolls."

They walked back over to the island, and Aeros went to stand in the middle of the pillar of light, pulling out the first Elder Scroll that Dexion said was the key to the prophecy, the one given to them by Valerica. But as he started to open it, he hesitated slightly.

Serana noticed his hesitation and her features softened in sympathy. "Nervous?" she asked understandingly.

Aeros laughed. "Yeah...yeah, I guess I am. I read one of these once, so that I could learn the Shout that would help me defeat Alduin, but the only other person I've met besides Dexion who actually read one of the things went completely mad afterwards. Now I'm reading three…" He shook his head.

"Aeros, you'll be fine," Serana said reassuringly. "Remember what Dexion said? The Scrolls have a mind of their own, and if they hadn't wanted you to find them, you never would have. That must also mean you're meant to read them. Besides, these moths are supposed to help reduce the effects." Secretly, Serana hoped she was right.

Her words worked though. Aeros flashed her a grin, his confidence restored. "You're right, like always. Well, let's see what these Scrolls can tell us about Auriel's Bow." And without missing a beat, he opened the first Scroll.

As he opened the Scroll, the entire space around him seemed to shimmer and distort as lines and symbols of pure magic appeared in front of him. As he opened the second Scroll, the images changed, resolving themselves into what looked vaguely like a map. Opening the final Scroll, Aeros watched in amazement as the map seemed to solidify, glowing symbols for Markarth and Solitude appearing. And in between them, set against the mountains, a third symbol appeared. He didn't recognize it, but instinctively knew it was where Auriel's Bow was hidden. Unbidden, words appeared in his mind, searing themselves into his memory.

Among the night's children, a dread lord shall rise, a voice whispered. Seeking to blind the eye of the Dragon, he shall fire the King's Bow, that which once fired the Heart of the Rebel, the Heart of the World, across the sky in the time before time, when the Beauty of Dawn knew neither pain nor happiness. And the world shall be hidden from its Architect, as night and day become as one.

But seeking to oppose the Long Night, the protectors of the dawn shall rise, aided by the dread lord's own blood, and he upon whom the Wheel turns. Together, the daughter of the night and the Hero with the soul of a dragon shall throw off the shackles of darkness, and lead the way to a new dawn.

The words and vision vanished in a great flash of white light, and Aeros felt as if he were falling from a great height.

"Aeros? Aeros, are you okay?" he thought he could hear Serana say in the distance. As he blinked away the spots in his vision, he found Serana looking down at him in concern, worry etched on her face.

Seeing that Aeros had returned from wherever he had just gone, Serana smiled in relief. "Thank the gods, I almost thought I lost you there...you went as white as the snow."

He waved her off, straightening and relaxing his death grip on the stone ring. When did I grab that? "Don't worry, I'm fine," he said with an odd sense of deja vu. This time however, Serana was the one concerned about him, instead of the other way around.

"I never trusted those damned Scrolls," Serana said vehemently, surprising Aeros with her complete one-eighty from before. "Who knows what those things could have done to you! Just look at Dexion." She stopped and turned away suddenly, so that Aeros didn't see the tears in her eyes. She forced herself to calm down. Aeros meanwhile, was surprised at how concerned she had been for him. For some reason, he felt warm at the thought.

"What about Auriel's Bow?" Serana asked, once she had regained control of herself. "Do you know where we can find it?"

Aeros nodded. "It's in a place called Darkfall Cave," he said, remembering the map shown to him by the Scrolls, as well as the mysterious words that had been whispered in his mind. Just what the hell was all of that? he wondered. It had sounded similar to the prophecy Dexion had read back at Fort Dawnguard, at least in the beginning. But he didn't remember the original prophecy sounding anything like this one.

"Then it's almost over," Serana said in relief. "We can finally put an end to this ridiculous prophecy. Where is this 'Darkfall Cave?'"

"On the western edge of Skyrim, between Markarth and Solitude. I can lead us right to it; the Scrolls gave me it's exact location, right before they-" He stopped and shook his head. "Never mind, I'll tell you about it later."

"Then let's get going. I want to get there before my father has a chance to find us."

The words had just left her mouth when a roar split the tranquil atmosphere of the glade. The two of them whirled to find a small army of vampires and gargoyles charging down the steps towards them.

"I think they just found us," Aeros deadpanned, calmly nodding towards the approaching horde as if he was simply commenting on the weather.

Serana smirked at him. "All right, Mr. Hero, how about you stop standing there and actually give me a hand? Or did a tiny bit of reading tire you out?"

Aeros just laughed in reply before charging head on at the vampires, Serana close behind.

The vampires never knew what hit them. Aeros crashed into their midst, swords whirling, slashing and stabbing anything that got in his way. Serana soon joined the fray, dagger diving at enemies' throats as she used magic to blast those out of the reach of her blade.

It didn't take long for them to put the enemy into a rout. The vampires and the few thralls they had remaining broke under the onslaught of the Dragonborn and Daughter of Coldharbour, and began sprinting as fast as they could back towards the cave entrance, with Aeros and Serana in close pursuit. They managed to kill most of them, but a few still managed to escape, and were nowhere to be seen by the time the two of them exited the cave.

"Well, it looks like your father knows where we are now, and what we're after. Or he will soon enough," Aeros said, looking around to see if he could spot any more vampires. "Hopefully, they didn't overhear me revealing the location of Auriel's Bow."

"EIther way, we'll just have to move fast to make sure we get to Auriel's Bow first, before they have a chance to regroup and follow us," Serana said matter-of-factly. Aeros laughed at her practicality, and nodded in agreement.

Descending down the mountain slope, the two of them mounted their horses and set off as fast as they could for Darkfall Cave.

* * *

Author's Notes: Well, here's the last chapter of Road to the Dawn. I know it's a little short, but that's because of the both the fact that the quest itself isn't very long, and since I'm also already working on the first chapter of the next part.

Originally, I was going to have the entire Dawnguard questline be one arc, but ultimately decided it would be too long, and I wouldn't be able to give the final two quests the multiple chapters I thought they deserved. So the next arc will feature Touching the Sky and Kindred Judgment and will most likely be called A New Dawn (This might change, but since I can't come up with a better name right now...) As always, be sure to leave a review and point out any grammar errors you see.

Edit: So one thing I remembered when rewriting this is that those of the Dragonblood are said to be able to see more than lesser men, and are often gifted (or cursed) with the gift of prophecy. Hence the shift in Aeros's dream, serving as a warning of what might happen if he fails. Not to mention, it served as a nice flashback to Aeros's struggle with Alduin.

Characters:

Paarthurnax: Known as "the Old One" by other dovah, Paarthurnax is the leader of the Greybeards, as well as the brother of Alduin. He served as Alduin's lieutenent during the Dragon War, but eventually chose to turn against him and aid the humans. Following Alduin's banishment, he chose to remain on the Throat of the World in wait for Alduin's eventual return. He has served as both a mentor and friend for Aeros, and Aeros values his advice greatly. When the Blades demanded his death for the atrocities and deaths he caused during the Dragon War, Aeros refused and severed ties with them.

Dragon Language: None used


	10. A New Dawn 1

A New Dawn 1

It had been several days since the events at Ancestor Glade. After learning the location of Auriel's Bow and repelling the vampires' attack, Aeros and Serana had set out immediately for Darkfall Cave before the vampires could regroup. Relying on Aeros's knowledge of the region and the knowledge imparted to him by the Elder Scrolls, the two of them had good time, quickly covering the distance that lay between them and their goal.

Aeros shaded his eyes as he studied the land around them. They had long left the forests of Falkreath behind and entered the harsh landscape of the Reach. They had made better time than Aeros had expected, not only managing to lose their vampiric pursuers amongst the land's many hills and ridges, but somehow managing to avoid encountering any of the roving bands of Forsworn that prowled the region as well. As a result, the twisted crags and foothills of the Reach soon started to give way to gentler slopes and wide swathes of forest, as they neared the border with Haafingar.

"I think we're almost there," he said to Serana. "A couple more hours and we should be at the cave entrance."

She nodded. "Good, the sooner we get out of this sun, the better."

Aeros glanced over at her. She had her hood up, shielding her from the rays of the sun, but despite that, she actually looked paler than normal, and slightly ill. Not only that, but she had been feeling increasingly lightheaded and woozy ever since they left Ancestor Glade. It worried him, but Serana stubbornly insisted that she was fine.

"Are you sure you don't want to find somewhere to rest and continue once it's night?" he asked, concerned.

Serana shook her head. "No...let's keep going. It's been so long since I last fed that day or night doesn't really matter at this point. The sooner we reach this Darkfall Cave and find Auriel's Bow, the better."

Seeing that he wasn't going to be able to change her mind, Aeros sighed heavily, before climbing back into his saddle. Once he was situated, they suited action to words, and continued onwards. They stopped around midday so that they could refill their waterskins from a nearby stream. Aeros dismounted from his horse and crouched down next to the water's edge while Serana stayed on her horse.

"We should be less than an hour from Darkfall Cave," he said over his shoulder as he filled the skins. "I don't know how big the extensive the cave system is, but hopefully we'll be able to find the bow without too much trouble. Plus, you'll be able to get out of the sun for a bit, which I'm sure will be a welcome relief for you."

Expecting a response, Aeros was surprised that Serana didn't say anything. As he was about to comment on it, he heard the dull thud of a body falling to the ground.

He spun around and saw Serana unconscious on the ground. "Serana!" he yelled, dropping the waterskins. He lifted her off the ground. "Hey Serana! Wake up!" But Serana didn't stir, barely breathing, and to Aeros she looked ever paler than before.

He looked around frantically and saw an old abandoned shack not too far away. As gently as he could, Aeros picked Serana up in his arms and stood. Needing to move as quickly as possible, he shouted.

"WULD NAH KEST!"

The two of them flew across the ground, stopping practically at the entrance. Aeros hurriedly carried Serana inside and out of the sun. Carefully laying her on the ground, he attempted to cast a restoration spell on her. A golden glow enveloped Serana, but other than that, there was no change. Her breathing was still shallow and she still looked deathly white.

"Damnit!" Aeros swore in a combination of frustration and fear. He couldn't see any visible injuries, and even internal ones should have been healed by his magic, so why wasn't she waking up? What else could it be?

As he tried desperately to think of a solution, something clicked as he remembered what she had said only a couple hours ago. _It's been so long since I last fed that day or night doesn't really matter at this point_, was what she had said. He had never given it a thought before, but he had never seen Serana feed. A normal vampire began to weaken after several days without blood. But if Serana had not fed once since she had started traveling with him, it had to have been at least several months since she last drank blood, possibly even longer if the last time she had fed had been before she was sealed away in Dimhollow Crypt. A terrifying thought occurred to him then. Could a vampire starve to death?

"No! I'm not going to let that happen!" he growled in determination. Deftly removing one of his gauntlets, he pulled her dagger from its sheath and without hesitation, slit his wrist open. Gingerly, he lifted her head up and held his wrist to her mouth.

The smell of blood finally managed to pull Serana back to consciousness, her eyes fluttering open slightly. Of course, they snapped wide open when she realized the origin of the blood and what Aeros was doing. She tried to push his wrist away, but she was so weak that there was barely any strength behind it, and Aeros had no problem keeping his wrist in place.

Finally she gave in, and started drinking his blood. It was weak at first, but slowly it seemed like she was regaining her strength. But by that point, her vampiric nature had completely taken over, and she began drinking hungrily, wanting nothing more than to keep drinking such delicious blood.

Aeros could feel himself growing weaker as she drained more of his blood, but he didn't move, unwilling to risk her collapsing again. Right when he felt like she was going to drink him dry though, she regained control of herself. Her eyes widened in horror and she threw herself backwards away from him.

Aeros slumped backwards against a wall. Serana was sitting across from him, on the verge of tears, and her mind filled with worry and fear. She was afraid of how easily she had lost to the hunger within her, and of how close she came to drinking Aeros dry. But more than that, she was terrified that she might have finally pushed Aeros away, that he would no longer see her as a human being, but instead look at her with loathing and disgust and see her as a monster.

Her fears were dispelled when Aeros slowly opened his eyes and grinned weakly at her. "Hey. Welcome back." His eyes still held the same warmth and kindness that they always had, without a trace of resentment or loathing.

Serana flung herself at him, wrapping her arms around him in a bone-crushing hug. "You horker-brained idiot," she whispered, her voice trembling. "What if I had killed you?"

"I don't care," he told her quietly, returning the embrace. "I wasn't about to just sit there and let you die, even if it had cost me my own life."

Serana didn't say anything else, just wrapped her arms around him tighter and buried her head in his shoulder. Aeros could feel a dampness against his shoulder as Serana's body shook with sobs. Not minding her tears, he simply held her in his arms as she cried, allowing her to let all of her pent-up feelings out.

Finally, her sobs quieted, and she raised her head to look up at him. She gave him a watery smile.

"Thank you," Serana whispered. "For everything. It's just...I don't know what I'd do if I lost you."

"Don't worry," he said reassuringly, a comforting smile on his face. "I'm not planning on going anywhere."

The two of them became suddenly aware of how close they were to each other; Serana was practically sitting in Aeros's lap. Instead of separating though, they stared intently at each other, a mysterious tension hanging between them.

Before either of them could say or do anything, the roar of a nearby sabre cat cut through the air. The two of them jumped, and Serana hastily moved herself so that she was no longer sitting in such a compromising position. Instead, she moved next to Aeros, and leaned against him. The two of them sat there for a long time, content to just next to each other, and to, for the time being, forget about their troubles.

Eventually though, they realized they had to keep moving forward, and find Auriel's Bow. Serana climbed to her feet and looked on in concern as Aeros slowly climbed to his feet, moving like a man thirty years older.

"Are you sure you're all right, Aeros?" she asked worriedly. "We don't have to make it to Darkfall Cave today. We can stay here or find somewhere else to camp…"

Aeros waved her off. "Don't worry, Serana, I'm fine. A little weak right now, but it'll pass. Look, I've already healed the cut on my wrist." He held up his wrist to prove it. "I'll drink a potion or two on the way, if it makes you feel better. But I want to give your father as little time as possible to catch up to us."

Serana nodded reluctantly, knowing he was right, but still not liking it. She resolved to keep an eye on him and make sure he didn't overdo it.

When they emerged back outside, they were shocked to see only a little over an hour and a half had passed. Fortunately, their horses had not wandered far, and were grazing nearby. Serana mounted hers with ease, doing much better than she had been before, which Aeros was glad to see.

Aeros was a different story though. He felt completely drained, even more so than when he had lost part of his soul. He wasn't going to let Serana realize that though. She already felt guilty enough about drinking his blood, the last thing she needed to see was just how much it had affected him. When he was sure she wasn't looking, he managed to laboriously pull himself up into his saddle.

As they set off again, Aeros kept his word to Serana and uncorked a fist-sized, red potion bottle, drinking as much of it as he could manage. And he had to admit, he did feel better afterwards, as a little bit of his strength returned. They rode on for another half hour before they spotted a cave entrance up ahead, an unobtrusive hole set against an outcropping of rock. There was nothing whatsoever to indicate that this was where Auriel's Bow was hidden, but Aeros instinctively knew that this was the right place.

"We made it," he said. "Darkfall Cave." He clambered down from his horse, and tied its lead around a nearby tree. "Now let's see if we can find Auriel's Bow." Nodding, Serana dismounted her horse and tied it up next to Aeros's.

The two of them slipped inside the cave entrance, pausing momentarily to let their eyes adjust to the dim light. They cautiously made their way through the cave, but their passage was unmolested, with the only thing they encountered being an undersized frostbite spider that skittered out of sight as soon as they got close. And then they reached a dead end.

"This _can't _be it!" Aeros said in frustration. They had emerged on one side of a giant hole, a frail rope bridge stretching the distance, while far below, a swift moving underground river swept along. And on the other side of the chasm from them...was a blank wall. "There's got to be something else here," he continued. "A hidden door, a switch, _something_!" He began walking across the bridge, ignoring how frayed it looked.

"Aeros, wait!" Serana cried, trying to stop him. She managed to grab his arm when they were about halfway across the bridge, and forced him to stop. He tried to keep going or at least pull his arm free, but he could not budge Serana's grip. With the transfusion of his blood, Serana's vampiric powers were back in full force, including her supernatural strength.

"Aeros, come on. I don't like the look of this…" she said, looking down at the bridge. "Let's turn around and see if we can find another way."

"I just want to check the other side," he promised her. "Then we can turn around. Besides," he said with a laugh, "what's the worst that could happen?"

Serana opened her mouth to give a response, when they heard a loud snap as the bridge gave out beneath them. For one ridiculous moment, they hung there suspended in midair, before they were sent plummeting towards the raging currents below. They hit with a giant splash, the cold water stealing their breath. Before they could even surface, the current swept them along.

The two of them kept their heads out of the water as best they could as they were jostled this way and that. What was up ahead though, almost made them wish they had kept their heads underwater.

"What is _that_?!" Serana yelled. Aeros didn't even have to answer, as they saw a cloud of mist ahead of them, accompanied by the sound of water rushing over a cliff. They both shouted as they spilled over the side of the waterfall, falling head first into the water down below. And then they were off again, swept along by the current.

This stretch was much shorter though, and a few seconds later, Aeros was thrown unceremoniously by another waterfall and deposited on the cave floor.

"Ow…" Aeros groaned, laying on the floor. He hadn't exactly fallen gently. He went to push himself up when he heard a shriek behind him, immediately followed by something crashing into him and forcing him back onto the ground.

He smacked his head against the ground, and while his helmet protected him for the most part, the impact was still enough to leave him dazed and seeing stars. Shaking his head to try and clear it, Aeros tried to get back to his feet, but realized he was still pinned beneath something.

"Uhh…" he heard a familiar groan from behind him. Well, now he knew what had hit him.

"Let's not do that again, okay?" Serana asked, sitting up.

Aeros wished he could look at her, but that was kind of a problem since she happened to be sitting on him.

"Serana," he groaned, "could you please get off of me?"

"Oops!" Serana said with a giggle, jumping off of him. She helped him climb back to his feet.

"Thanks," he said, as he stretched the kinks out of his back. He looked around them curiously. "So now where are we?"

Serana shrugged. "I'm not sure. Probably deeper in the cavern. Either way, I don't think we're going back the way we came."

"Then I guess that means we'll just have to keep going like usual, huh?" Aeros said with a lopsided grin, unconcerned about that fact that they might be stuck.

"Sometimes, I think you like getting in these situations." Serana accused with mock exasperation, but she was grinning too. They started moving again.

This section of Darkfall Cave was definitely larger than the previous section, and darker as well. The only sources of illumination was the soft luminescence of the glowing mushrooms that grew on the cave walls, and the steady glow of Aeros's lantern. With no better option, they followed the trickling stream of water flowing around their feet deeper into the cave, hoping that it would lead them to their goal.

As they neared the far end of the cavern, they were surprised to see a lit brazier ahead of them, its flames still flickering. Next to the brazier was a passage sloping upwards, and Aeros could just make out a flickering light up ahead. He and Serana looked at each other curiously. "It looks like the light from a campfire," he said. Serana nodded in agreement.

"But why would anyone want to set up camp in a place like this?" she questioned. Aeros didn't have an answer for her, and could only shrug. Curious, they followed the passage up the slope, hoping to learn who else was down here, and why.

At the top of the slope they found the remains of a campsite, with several crates of supplies and two bedrolls. Two bowls of stew sat next to the campfire, untouched. And lying next to it all, at the mouth of another tunnel, was a dead Breton woman lying in a pool of blood. She looked as if she had been savaged by wild beasts.

They both froze in shock. "These people were...just what happened here?" Serana questioned. "What could have killed this woman?"

Aeros spotted a note clutched in the woman's hand. Kneeling, he gently extracted it from her grip. He scanned over it, before he shook his head in disgust. He tossed the note to Serana.

She smoothed it out to read it. It read:

"_Sister, I know that you'll come find me, but it will be too late. If you find this letter, get out of this forsaken cave as soon as possible. We were fools to think that we could live so close to such creatures and live peacefully._

_I should've headed back to camp with you after we placed the torches down here. I thought these trolls would be different, that they would somehow understand that we didn't want to hurt them._

_I am now cornered and it is only a matter of time before one of the trolls decides to finish me off. I hope it's a quick death._

_Farewell, my dear sister."_

By the end, she was shaking her head in just as much disgust as Aeros. "It's sad to know what happened to these two," she said, "but did they actually think that the trolls wouldn't try and attack them? The things aren't exactly intelligent, and everyone knows they'll attack and eat anything that crosses their path."

"I don't know what they were thinking," Aeros said with a sigh. "But it's too late for them now. Let's just keep going."

"Sure," Serana said, replacing the note in the Breton woman's hand. "But who knows, maybe we'll find these trolls the note mentioned." That perked Aeros up. Serana laughed and, after a quick prayer for the souls of the two unfortunate Bretons, they moved on, heading deeper into the cave.

It wasn't long before the tunnel began to widen around them, and they could hear the sound of water ahead. Turning a corner, they found themselves entering a large cavern. The floor was hidden underneath a layer of water that covered the entire cavern, but it turned out to only be a few inches deep. Besides that and a few columns of stone, there wasn't anything really remarkable about the cavern. That is, unless you counted the smell.

"I think we found our trolls," Serana said, her nose wrinkling in disgust. But despite the smell, she couldn't help but feel a rush of eagerness. They hadn't encountered any kind of trouble on their way here from Ancestor Glade, and they were both a little eager for something to fight.

"I'd say so," Aeros answered with a predatory grin.

"So how do you want to do this?" Serana asked, although she already knowing what his answer would be.

"Hmm," Aeros pretended to think about it. "How about charging in swords swinging and magic blazing?"

"Do you even know the meaning of stealth?" Serana asked with a laugh.

"Of course I do," Aeros replied with a smirk. "But that takes all the fun out of it!" As he spoke, Aeros drew his swords, and got ready to charge. "Now come on, let's go teach these trolls why eating people is bad for their health!" And with that, off he went, whooping and sprinting the length of the cavern towards where the smell was strongest.

Serana shook her head, but she followed him anyways, spells in hand.

The trolls never knew what hit them. Aeros slammed into one before it was even aware that he was there, knocking it off balance. Even as it tried to recover, Aeros was already swinging his swords, cutting deeply into the troll's side. The troll bellowed in pain as the swords bit into flesh and bone, the sound only increasing when one of the blades began to burn like fire, preventing the troll's flesh from regenerating.

The troll's cry of pain attracted the attention of another troll that was nearby. The smell of man flesh filled its nostrils, and it slammed its arms against the ground as it bellowed in fury. But as it went to join the fight against the intruder, its limbs began spasming uncontrollably as lightning arced up and down its body. The troll roared in pain and confusion, before being put out of its misery by an ice spike crashing into its head. As the troll fell, Serana turned and saw that Aeros had similarly finished off the troll that he was fighting, slashing its throat before driving both swords through its gut. Using the monster's fur to wipe the blood and gore off of his blades, Aeros returned them to his sheaths. He turned towards Serana with a grin.

"Shall we?" he asked. Serana grinned back at him as she nodded and they walked further into the cavern. As they approached the far end, they both shivered suddenly. It felt as if they had just crossed some sort of threshold or passed through a barrier of some sort, but when they stopped and turned around to look, they saw nothing. But as they continued onwards, the cave seemed to grow brighter and cleaner, and both of them felt more at ease. Up ahead, they could see some sort of mysterious structure.

"What is that?" Serana wondered aloud. "I can feel some kind of power from it…" They made their way towards the structure, curious. They stopped however, when they saw a figure blocking their path. They both stiffened and readied themselves for a fight.

"Come forward," the figure called to them. "You have nothing to fear here."

Aeros and Serana exchanged a look, before slowly taking their hands off of their weapons. They moved forward into the lit area in order to get a better look at the figure before them.

He definitely wasn't a man, looking more like an elf, but not like any sort of mer they had ever seen. His skin was pale, almost white, and his hair was only a shade darker. Two shockingly pale blue eyes gazed at them, an unfathomable age and wisdom lying in their depths. The mysterious stranger also wore an ancient looking set of armor crafted in a style that neither Aeros nor Serana had ever seen before. He did not appear to be armed, although Aeros sensed a hidden strength about him.

"Hello there," Aeros said. "I'm Aeros, and this is Serana. May I ask what your name is?"

"Greetings, Aeros and Serana. I am Knight-Paladin Gelebor," the elf replied politely. "Welcome to the Great Chantry of Auri-El."

"This cave is a temple to Auriel?" Aeros questioned, looking around. He wasn't stupid enough to say it out loud, but this wasn't exactly what he pictured a temple of a god to look like.

"Auriel, Auri-El, Alkosh, Akatosh…" said Gelebor, waving a hand dismissively. "So many different name for the sovereign of the snow elves."

And that final comment made everything fall into place for Aeros and Serana. "Snow elves? You mean you're a Falmer?" they asked at the same time, incredulous. Even Serana was aware of the legends from the Merethic Era of the great war between the Snow Elves and the ancient Atmorans. The Falmer were all either slaughtered or driven underground, where they eventually devolved into the twisted beings they were today. Or at least, that was what everyone had believed.

"I prefer snow elf," Gelebor said mildly. "The name 'Falmer' usually holds a negative feeling for most travelers. And those twisted creatures you call Falmer, I call the Betrayed."

"I'm sorry if we are intruding on sacred ground," Aeros apologized. "That was not our intent, but Serana and I are searching for an artifact that is said to be hidden here. Do you have any idea if something like that is here?" To meet an actual living snow elf was a wonder in of itself, but that wasn't what they were there for, and Aeros had the feeling that there wasn't a lot of time left.

"Of course," replied Gelebor, seemingly unsurprised by the question. "You're here for Auriel's Bow, why else would you be here? You are not the first to come seeking it. I can help you get it, but first, I must have your assistance."

Again, Aeros and Serana exchanged a glance. This was going better than they had hoped. "What type of assistance do you need?" Serana asked.

"I need you to kill Arch-Curate Vyrthur...my brother." Gelebor said bluntly.

And now it was taking a turn for the worse. Aeros and Serana both opened and closed their mouths a couple times, speechless. "Kill your own brother?" Aeros finally croaked. "By the gods, why?"

"He is my brother in blood only," Gelebor explained. "The kinship between us is gone. I don't understand what he's become, but he's no longer the brother I once knew. It was the Betrayed...they did something to him. I just don't know why Auri-El would allow something like this to happen!"

"What exactly did the Betrayed do?" Serana asked.

Gelebor was silent for several moments, before he gave a great sigh, seeming saddened by the memory. "Many years ago, this Chantry was the epicenter of the snow elf religion, a retreat for those who wished to become enlightened. The Chantry has always been isolated from the events of the world around it, and even after the fall of my people, there was still a number of snow elves living within the Chantry borders. That is, until the Betrayed came...they swept into the Chantry without warning, and began killing everyone without pause."

"Didn't you fight back?"

Gelebor shook his head. "The Chantry was a place of peaceful worship. I led a small group of paladins, but we were no match for the Betrayed's sheer numbers. They slaughtered everyone and stormed the Inner Sanctum where I believe they corrupted Vyrthur. In the end, only I and my brother were left alive."

"How can you be sure that he's still alive?" Aeros asked. If the Chantry had been organized similar to other religious orders in Tamriel, then Arch-Curate Vythur would have been more of a cleric or priest than a warrior. Even if he turned out to be trained in the ways of combat magic, it would have been miraculous for him to survive a horde of Falmer storming this Inner Sanctum, wherever that was. He knew from personal experience that the Falmer were brutal and bloodthirsty creatures, and were relentless in their assault.

"He's alive," Gelebor assured them. "I've seen him. But something's wrong. He never looks as if he's in pain or under duress. He just...stands there and watches, as though waiting."

"Have you tried getting into the Inner Sanctum?" Aeros had to ask.

Another shake of the head. "Leaving the wayshrines unguarded would be violating my sacred duty as a Knight-Paladin of Auriel. And an assault on the Betrayed guarding the Inner Sanctum would only end with my death."

"Wayshrines?" Aeros and Serana asked simultaneously.

Gelebor nodded. "Yes, let me show you."

He led them in front of the mysterious structure that they had noticed earlier. It appeared to be a domed structure centered upon a stone platform, and they could see now that there was a stylized sun on the top, no doubt a symbol of Auriel, but beyond that, there was no discernable purpose for it. He motioned for them to stand back, and then raised one of his hands, concentrating.

They watched as magicka gathered in his palm, coalescing into a bright ball of light that glowed like a miniature sun. When the ball of light was done forming, Gelebor opened his eyes. He tossed the spell into the air. It floated up, and then with a flash, disappeared. At first, it seemed as if nothing had happened, but before Aeros or Serana could comment on it, the sun on top of the structure glowed brightly, as the cave around them began to rumble.

Slowly, the structure rose out of the ground, climbing higher and higher as more of its surface was revealed. "So this is snow elf magic," Serana breathed. "Incredible." Aeros nodded; It certainly was unlike anything that he had seen before, and he could see why there were so many tales about the snow elves and their wondrous spells and enchantments.

At last, the structure stopped climbing, now standing more than three times Aeros's height. It was now a six sided structure, with the side facing them open and serving as a doorway. The sun on top of the domed roof was now practically scraping against the cave ceiling.

"This structure is known as a wayshrine," Gelebor explained as he turned back to face them. Despite the amount of magicka it must have taken to raise the wayshrine, he did not seem to be even slightly fatigued or drained. "They were used for meditation and for transport when the Chantry was a place of enlightenment. Prelates of these shrines were charged with teaching the mantras of Auri-El to our initiates."

"Did you say that these were used for transport?" Aeros asked curiously. Gelebor nodded.

"Indeed. The Chantry's wayshrines are all connected to each other by a complicated spell linking the different locations and forming passageways between them. Using one wayshrine, it was possible to travel instantaneously to another, even if the two lay on opposite sides of the Chantry from each other. Unfortunately, all of the wayshrines were deactivated after the Chantry fell."

"What's that basin in the center signify?" Serana asked, pointing. Peering inside, Aeros noticed what she was talking about. In the center of the wayshrine, stood a large metal basin filled with water.

"During an initiate's journey to enlightenment, they would travel across the Chantry, meditating and fulfilling their mantras at each wayshrine," Gelebor explained. "Once the initiate completed his mantras, he would dip a ceremonial ewer in the basin in the wayshrine's center and proceed to the next location."

"So these initiates had to lug around a heavy pitcher of water and fill it at each wayshrine?" Serana's voice said what she thought of that idea. "Marvelous. How long would they have to do that?"

"Well, once the initiate's enlightenment was complete, he'd bring the ewer to the Chantry's Inner Sanctum. Pouring the contents of the ewer into the sacred basin of the Sanctum would allow him to enter for an audience with the Arch-Curate himself."

"All that to just end up dumping it out?" Serana asked skeptically. "Makes no sense to me."

"It's symbolic," Gelebor said stiffly. "I don't expect you to understand."

"So, let's get this straight," Serana said. "We need to do all that nonsense to get into the temple, so we can kill your brother and claim Auriel's Bow?"

"I know how it all sounds, but if there was another way I'd have done it long ago. My brother took great pains to make it difficult to reach him. The only way to get to my brother now is to follow in the Initiates' footsteps and travel from wayshrine to wayshrine, just as they did. The first lays at the end of Darkfall Passage, a cavern that represents the absence of enlightenment."

"How many wayshrines are there?" Aeros asked suddenly. He could tell Serana was less than pleased with this development, and figured he better step in, or else she might just smack one of the last snow elves in existence over the head.

"There are five in total, spread far apart across the Chantry," Gelebor answered.

Aeros whistled in appreciation. "These caves must be massive."

"Caves?" For some reason, Gelebor sounded greatly amused by that. "Oh, no. The Chantry encompansses far more than a few caves, as you'll soon discover. But before I send you on your way, you will need the Initiate's Ewer."

From inside the wayshrine, he removed a ceramic ewer and handed it to Aeros. Aeros examined it curiously; it was far more ceremonial looking than a normal ewer, but other than that, he didn't see much of a difference between it and a normal ewer.

"This is the ewer that an Initiate would have to carry with him on his journey of enlightenment through the Chantry."

"So I need to fill this at each wayshrine?" Aeros asked, turning the ewer around in his hands as he examined the intricate designs carved on its sides.

Gelebor nodded. "Once you've located a wayshrine, there will be a spectral Prelate tending to it. They will allow you to draw waters from the shrine's basin, as if you've been enlightened."

"Who are these spectral Prelates? I thought you said everyone was killed when the Fal- the Betrayed attacked."

"They're ghosts of the snow elf priests who tended the wayshrines before being slaughtered by the Betrayed. Through the grace of Auri-El, they were restored to their spectral form in order to continue their duties."

"Good, then they should be able to help us," said Aeros. He was not so sure that he would call it the "grace" of Auri-El to be partially brought back to life and made to eternally watch over the wayshrines of a dead chantry, but that was not his place to say. Hopefully, these spectral Prelates would be able to direct them to each wayshrine, so that he and Serana were not forced to run around the entire Chantry looking for them. _Then again, how hard can it be to find a bunch of wayshrines inside a cave system?_ he thought to himself.

Those hopes were dashed as Gelebor shook his head. "I'm afraid in their current form, they still believe the Chantry to be an active center of worship," he said. "They won't respond to you in any way other than believing that you're an Initiate, and you're undertaking the journey to the Inner Sanctum."

"So we're on our own then," Aeros summed up. He sighed and shrugged. "Well, it's not like we're not used to it. We'll be off then. Thank you for your help, Gelebor." Hefting the ewer in his hands, he nodded to Serana.

Together, they entered the wayshrine. The far wall shimmered, displaying an image that definitely didn't belong there. Instead of showing their reflections, or an image of the cave behind the wayshrine, it showed a dark corridor, devoid of light except for a few odd, purple lights.

Deciding to hurry up and get it over with, Serana took a deep breath before stepping through the portal. Aeros watched her appear on the other side and look back towards him. With a nod to Gelebor, Aeros stepped into the portal. The last thing he heard before entering it was Gelebor.

"Good luck, my friends. And may Auri-El watch over you."

* * *

Author's Notes: And here's the first chapter of A New Dawn! Like I said before, this arc is going to focus on the final part of Aeros's and Serana's quest for Auriel's Bow, and the Dawnguard's assault on Castle Volkihar, since I felt like both of these deserved more than just a single chapter or two.

On a side note, I've always wondered about the fact that you never see Serana drink blood during gameplay, and that the last time she must have fed was most likely before Valerica locked her away. So I decided to write down what I thought would be the result of that, with Aeros sacrificing his own blood to nurse Serana back to health. Of course, this may have more of an effect on him than he's willing to admit…

Characters:

Knight-Paladin Gelebor: One of the last Snow Elves, and the brother of Arch-Curate Vyrthur. Asks for your assistance in slaying his brother, who he believes has been corrupted by the Betrayed.

Dragon Language:

Wuld Nah Kest = Whirlwind Fury Tempest (Whirlwind Sprint Shout)


	11. A New Dawn 2

A New Dawn 2

\- Darkfall Passage -

A strange feeling of warmth swept over Aeros as he stepped through the portal. The air felt thick as it filled with a myriad of shifting colors, and he felt as if he was traveling a great distance. It only lasted for a moment, before he emerged on the other side of the portal. He blinked several times as his eyes adjusted the sudden darkness around him. When he could see again, he found Serana waiting for him nearby, an odd look on her face.

"Are you all right?" he asked, once he had gotten his bearings.

"I'm fine," she replied. "Actually, that...wasn't as unpleasant as I thought it would be. Kind of soothing, actually. I feel a little warmer now."

"Still a bit weird though," Aeros said with a chuckle.

"Still a bit weird," she agreed.

Aeros turned and looked back at the portal which they had come through. Set in between two crumbling stone pillars, he could see the inside of the wayshrine on the other side of the shimmering veil. He could no longer see Gelebor, but knew that he was likely still outside the wayshrine.

Together, he and Serana examined their surroundings. They were standing on a stone platform amongst the ruins of what had likely been a wayshrine or gateway of some sort, with the portal which they had come through set between two crumbling stone pillars at the back. Through the shimmering veil, Aeros could see the interior of the wayshrine, but there was no sign of Gelebor. Beyond the stone ruins, there was not much else to the small underground chamber which they found themselves in. The only other thing of note was a tunnel opposite them. Seeing no other way forward, Aeros and Serana set off down the tunnel. They had expected the tunnel to be pitch black, but to their surprise, they instead found it to actually be bathed in a soft violet light emanating from several unusual plants growing along the sides of the tunnel. But when they tried to get a closer look at one of the plants, it actually retracted into a crack in the wall, plunging that section of tunnel into darkness.

The tunnel was fairly straight, and as they followed it, they passed several stretches of water, although most were little more than oversized puddles. However, to their unease, they noticed several holes in the wall above the pools of water similar to those used by the Falmer to ambush travelers. As they passed one such pool of water, they heard noises up ahead. Listening closely, it sounded a lot like guttural snarling and hissing, something that they had both heard before.

"Falmer," Aeros whispered, and Serana nodded in agreement. Dropping into crouches, they both crept forward as carefully and quietly as they could.

They soon found the source of the noise, as the tunnel began to widen until they found themselves in a small cave. In the far left corner, they could see where the tunnel continued, but blocking their way was a group of Falmer. The Falmer did not seem to notice them, wandering aimlessly about the room and occasionally snarling at each other.

"Want to just charge them?" Serana whispered, figuring that she already knew what Aeros's answer would be.

"I was actually thinking we should just sneak past them," Aeros replied. Serana stared at him in surprise.

She recovered quickly enough though, as a second later she was smirking at him. "Oh, so you CAN be stealthy when you want to be, huh?" she teased.

"Bite me," he said with a grin, which he realized was probably not the best choice of words as Serana's smirk grew even bigger.

"My pleasure," she said with a grin, flashing her fangs and trying to look predatory. The effect was ruined somewhat when she stuck her tongue out at him.

"Alright then, O' master of stealth," she said, snickering. "How exactly do you plan on getting past the group of Falmer that's right in our path?"

Now it was Aeros's turn to smirk. "Have I ever told you about the Shout I learned at Shearpoint?" Serana shook her head, having no idea what he was getting at. "Allow me to demonstrate then."

He moved forward slightly, making sure to not make any noise that might alert the Falmer. Finding an area of the cave far enough away from both where they currently were, and where the other tunnel was, he cupped his hands around his mouth.

"Zul Mey Gut," he whispered. Immediately, in the direction he had been facing, a voice called out insultingly, echoing against the cave walls.

"Hey, slug-breath!" came the sound of Aero's voice. The result was immediate. All of the Falmer's heads snapped in the direction of the voice and with a collective snarl, they ran to find the source.

With a grin, Aeros motioned Serana forward, and they dashed forward as quietly as they could across the breadth of the cave and into the tunnel. They kept going for a little bit before taking a break, stopping next to a giant boulder of luminescent stone that almost resembled a giant gem. When they finally stopped, Serana couldn't help herself. She burst out laughing.

"That...that is the most _insulting _Shout...I have ever heard!" she gasped, laughing so hard that she had to clutch her sides.

"You wouldn't believe how effective that is against enemies, especially bandits," Aeros said with a chuckle. "I've lost track of how many bandits I've caused to get into fights because of that Shout. It's saved my life a couple times too."

It took a while, but Serana finally managed to stop laughing and catch her breath, although she still let out the occasional chuckle. When she had finally gotten herself back under control, they continued onwards, further into the caves.

They encountered several more groups of Falmer, but they were able to sneak past them using Aeros's trick, which never failed to amuse Serana. However, there were several times when Aeros's trick proved insufficient, and they had no choice but to fight their way through. Fortunately, they were able to defeat the Falmer without too much trouble, and neither of them suffered any serious injuries.

After one such fight, they turned a corner and found themselves facing a stone wall, with the faint outline of a door carved into it. Looking for a lever or switch of some sort, Serana noticed a pair of pull chains, along with the obvious signs of several traps.

"Hmm," she said thoughtfully. "Pull chains and traps. We'll need to be careful here. Whatever's on the other side of this, the Falmer wanted to keep it there."

Finding the chain that would release the door, Aeros gave Serana a quick glance to make sure she was ready. When she gave him a nod back, he pulled on the chain.

With a rumbling, grating noise, the stone wall slid down, revealing the other side. And the glowing sabre cat staring hungrily at them.

With a roar, the sabre cat leaped from its ledge, flying through the air towards them. Reacting instinctively, Aeros yanked on the other pull chain. Simultaneously, three different traps went off, sending spears into the air while a great claw descended from above. All the while, a hail of darts flew from various holes in the wall.

The unfortunate sabre cat seemed to freeze in the air for a split second as it was hit by all these traps at the same time, before it went flying backwards, bouncing off a wall and falling to the ground. It didn't get back up.

Aeros and Serana both winced. "Okay," Aeros said as best he could. "No more activating Falmer traps. I actually feel bad for that sabre cat."

"Despite the fact that it was going to eat us?"

"Well, there is that," Aeros admitted.

"By the way, why do you think that sabre cat was glowing?" Serana asked curiously.

"Who knows? It could be a natural thing, it could have gotten hit by a mage's errant spell, maybe it has a thing for glowing mushrooms…"

Serana grinned at that image. "Well, whatever the reason is, we should keep going."

"Ah yes, back into the doom and gloom of caves, where we find danger and adventure around every corner!" Aeros said dramatically, prompting a smack on the back of the head from Serana.

Laughing, they walked through the opening, expecting something similar to the rest of the cave. Instead, they found a scene of beauty.

A cavern stretched out in front of them, dimly lit by dozens of giant glowing mushrooms. Water cascaded down a rock wall nearby, joining the dozens of pools of water down below. They could see a number of what looked like deer and sabre cats around the pools, all glowing like the sabre cat that they had just encountered.

"Wow," Serana breathed. "This is absolutely incredible."

Aeros could only nod in agreement. "It's like a miniature version of Blackreach," he said in awe.

The two of them made their way slowly down to the bottom, moving like they were in a dream. A few glowing deer scattered as they crossed one of the cave's stone bridges, bounding away. Lounging lazily at the water's edge or on outcroppings of rock, several sabre cats watched curiously through narrowed eyes as these strange outsiders passed, but did not attack.

Aeros and Serana followed the meandering stone path. As they neared the far side of the cavern, the path began to climb again. As they approached the top, Serana spotted the top of a metal sun.

"I think that's another wayshrine up there," she said, pointing it out to Aeros. "Let's see if this works."

They hurried up the remainder of the path, and found that Serana had been right. It was indeed a wayshrine, although the structure seemed out of place amongst the cave's otherworldly beauty. As they approached the wayshrine, they were met by a spectral snow elf. Instead of armor, like Gelebor had been wearing, the ghost was wearing a set of religious robes.

"Welcome, Initiate," the spectral Prelate greeted them. "This is the Wayshrine of Illumination. Are you prepared to honor the mantras of Auri-El and fill your vessel with His enlightenment?"

Remembering what Gelebor had said about the Prelates not realizing the Chantry was no longer in operation, Aeros decided to play along. He bowed to the Prelate, holding the ewer in both hands.

"Yes, I am prepared to receive the blessings of Auri-El," he answered, hoping that was close enough to what he was supposed to say.

The Prelate nodded. "Then behold Auri-El's gift, my child. May it light your path as you seek tranquility within the Inner Sanctum." He tossed his hand up in the air, as if casting a spell.

Similar to before, the sun on top of the wayshrine seemed to glow with an inner light, as the wayshrine rose out of the ground.

"May Auri-El's brilliance illuminate your path," the Prelate murmured as they walked past him. They entered the wayshrine, and Aeros, holding the ewer, approached the water basin in the center. Dipping the ewer in the basin, he scooped up some of the water.

The wall in front of him shimmered, and resolved into another magic portal. He couldn't see much through the limited view of the portal, but he was able to tell that it was definitely lighter. Wherever the portal led to, it most likely wasn't as deep as the section of caves they were currently in.

With a shrug to Serana, he hoisted the ewer and stepped through the portal.

As he waited for the disorientation common with such portals to fade, he took a look around. There wasn't much, but like he had noted earlier, it was lighter than the previous sections of Darkfall Cave.

Serana emerged behind him a moment later, and also looked around at their surrounding with interest. "Where are we? It looks different than earlier."

Aeros shrugged, not really having a specific answer. They found a tunnel leading out of the cave, and decided to follow it. As they walked farther and farther, the area grew lighter and lighter.

Aeros noticed something then, a faint sound. He held up a hand to stop Serana, and listened more carefully.

"Can you hear that?" he asked Serana. She stopped and listened intently. Her face lit up with a smile.

"Birds!" she exclaimed. "If we can hear birds, then that means…" She didn't have to finish as they both took off running down the passage.

They found themselves in a wide circular area, encompassed by rock walls on all sides. Looking up, they found themselves staring into the bright light of day, sunshine filtering down to the bottom of the hole, and the sound of bird song filling the air.

"I can see a ledge running up to the top," Aeros said. "If we follow this tunnel a little further, it should lead us up there."

They followed the tunnel Aeros had pointed out, and it wasn't long before it began to climb and twist back in the direction that they had come from, just like Aeros had hoped. It wasn't long before they emerged halfway up the side of the hole on the ledge that Aeros had noticed. Just like they had hoped, the stone ramp led straight to the top.

Trying to control their excitement, Aeros and Serana hurriedly climbed the ramp to the top. As they reached the surface and looked out, for the second time that day they were left speechless.

An entire valley stretched out in front of them, surrounded on all sides by mountains. They must have been high up in the mountains, because despite it being summer, there was a coolness to the air, and a light layer of snow covering the ground. To Aeros's surprise, he realized that it was actually dawn. It had been a few hours before sunset when he and Serana had entered Darkfall Cave, and it would seem that unbeknownst to them, the rest of the day and the entire night had passed them by while they were underground. A light mist filled the early morning air, turning everything hazy and indistinct, and giving the entire valley an aura of mystique and wonder.

"This is incredible," Serana said next to Aeros. "It's like a whole other world. I've never seen anything so beautiful…"

Aeros looked over at her, and seeing her illuminated in the pale light of dawn, had to disagree, but could not bring himself to say so out loud. Instead, he forced himself away from such thoughts, and instead chose to focus on the scene before him. They stood there for a little while longer, simply taking in the beauty and majesty of this forgotten vale, lost to the mists of time. Eventually though, Serana shook herself out of her reverie. "Come on," she said, "the bow has to be in this valley somewhere."

"You're right," Aeros said with a laugh. "But now I see why Gelebor was so amused by us assuming the Chantry was just a bunch of caves."

Picking their way down the ridge to the valley floor, they began their search for the wayshrines. It took a bit of effort, but they managed to find the remains of a trail, bits of weathered cobblestone poking out of the ground. Following the trail as it wound its way past the ruins of ancient snow elf architecture and piles of rubble, they eventually found themselves in front of another wayshrine. The same scene played out as before, with the ghostly Prelate thinking Aeros and Serana to be Initiates, and with them playing along.

And so it went, with Aeros and Serana picking their way through various ruins as they followed the barely discernable remnants of trails and paths in search of the wayshrines. At each wayshrine, a ghostly Prelate admitted them and recited another portion of the mantras of Auriel. Besides an encounter with a frost giant, everything went along relatively normally. That is, until Aeros heard a familiar chanting.

He and Serana had just reached the Wayshrine of Resolution and filled the ewer, leaving only one more wayshrine until they were able to enter the Chantry's Inner Sanctum.

"Why is it that I'm the only one lugging around the big pitcher of water?" he asked. "Shouldn't we be taking turns?"

Serana gave him a wide-eyed, innocent stare. "Why Aeros, surely you're not going to be so crude as to make a woman carry such a heavy thing all across this valley?"

Aeros snorted. "Right. The woman with fangs and glowing eyes who just happens to be stronger than me is too fragile to carry a pitcher of water? Nice try."

"Well, it was worth a shot," Serana said with a grin.

Aeros started to respond, but stopped all of a sudden, cocking his head as he glanced out towards a nearby frozen lake.

"What is it?" Serana asked when she noticed Aeros had stopped.

"There's a Word Wall nearby," he answered. "It sounds like it's coming from the middle of the lake over there." Without waiting for a reply, he began heading towards the lake.

Knowing that Aeros was going to try and find the Word Wall no matter what she said, Serana simply sighed, before following him. _Someone has to keep the fool out of trouble, after all,_ she thought to herself.

As it turned out, it actually wasn't all that hard to find the Word Wall, since it was sitting on an island in the middle of the lake. Aeros could hear the Word of Power calling to him, a perpetual chanting that only grew in strength the closer they got to the black stone surface..

As they approached the island, Aeros kept his eyes on the skies above them, searching for the image of a dragon bearing down on them. He had learned long ago that dragons loved to roost near Word Walls and would ambush anyone who got too close. But there were no signs of dragons anywhere as they got closer.

For some reason, that bothered Aeros more than anything, putting him ill at ease. He had just opened his mouth to say something about it when the surface of the lake shook.

He whirled. "What was-" He never got the chance to finish his sentence as directly next to them, the ice exploded, knocking both him and Serana off their feet. Through the chunks of ice and geyser of water, Aeros could make out a dark, winged shape as it flew overhead, accompanied by a familiar roar.

That roar was immediately answered by a second roar, from the opposite direction. Turning his head, Aeros saw a second dragon approaching them.

Climbing to his feet, Aeros drew his swords and readied himself for a fight. One of the dragons angled itself down towards the ice, well short of where he and Serana were standing. _What is it doing?_ he thought. _That angle's way too steep for a landing; it'll just wind up crashing._

And almost as if to prove him correct, the dragon crashed through the ice and disappeared. Aeros stared at the hole in confusion for a second before turning his attention to the remaining dragon. However, a call from Serana got his attention.

"Aeros! Below us, underneath the ice!" she yelled frantically, pointing down. Aeros followed her gaze down just in time to see the edge of a wing moving underneath him.

The ice under his feet exploded, sending him sliding back across the ice. Looking up, he found himself staring into the eyes of the dragon that had crashed underneath the ice.

_Dragons can swim?_ he thought. _Great. Because a giant, fire-breathing lizard that can fly isn't bad enough._

As he climbed back to his feet, the second dragon made to dive under the ice. Fortunately, as it dived, a well placed lightning bolt from Serana hit one of its wings. With a screech, the dragon crashed into the ice, skidding for several yards. When it came to a stop and had climbed back to its feet, it gave Serana a hate-filled glare that promised a painful death.

"Come on then, you big overgrown lizard!" she called tauntingly, a sneer on her lips. The dragon's eyes practically bulged out of its head in anger, and with a roar, it charged headlong at her.

Aeros meanwhile, was attempting to deal with the other dragon, but was having a difficult time due to it constantly taking to the air or diving under the ice. Finally, he had had enough.

"JOOR ZAH FRUL!" he shouted. The force of his Thu'um enveloped the dragon in front of him as it attempted to take off again, dragging it down to the ground where it was forced to land.

Aeros grinned savagely. "Finally," he said. "A fair fight." He advanced towards the land-locked dragon.

With a roar, the dragon unleashed a blast of fire, trying to incinerate the insolent mortal who had dared use such a twisted Thu'um on it.

Aeros released the sword in his right hand, and brought it up to cast a ward. The flames hit the ward head on and stopped. Unfortunately, it didn't work for long, before a sudden wave of weakness washed over Aeros, and his ward buckled and began to flicker.

Swearing, he dropped the ward and rolled to the side, and not a second too soon, as flames consumed the spot where he had been standing. When they dissipated, there was a patch of steaming water where the ice had been.

Aeros grimaced, as he reminded himself that he had to be more careful than normal. He was still nowhere near fully recovered from giving so much of his blood to Serana, and even his magic was weaker than normal right now. He grabbed his fallen sword and charged forward.

While Aeros dealt with the first dragon, Serana was actually managing to hold her own against the other. The wide open space and her quick reflexes meant that she was able to stay just out of the dragon's reach while hitting it with a continuous barrage of magic, which only increased its ire. The aggravated dragon spun constantly, trying to keep the irritating female in sight. Every time it tried to take off to give itself the distance it needed to attack, the female hit its wings with painful arcs of lightning and spikes of ice. It gave a roar of frustration.

Aeros twisted out of the way of the snapping jaws, swinging his sword as he spun past. His opponent roared in pain as the blade cut through its tough hide and opened a gash right below its eye.

Ducking underneath the swinging tail, Aeros knew he needed to finish this. He could feel himself tiring, and the longer this fight went on, the more he risked making a possibly fatal mistake. As the dragon lunged forward at him, he ducked underneath, avoiding the deadly rows of razor-sharp teeth. Jabbing at its chest, he managed to get the beast to rear up in an effort to avoid his blade, giving him a nice clear view of its throat.

Pushing off the ice as hard as he could, Aeros stabbed his sword upwards, putting as much momentum behind it as he could. The enchanted dragonbone blade cut through the dragon's scaly hide with ease, sinking deep into the beast's throat. With a strangled screech, the dragon fell away from him. It clawed at its throat, trying to remove the sword, but it was too late. It sank to the ground feebly as its life blood drained out of it, staining the ice around it. With a final, anguished roar, its head fell limply to the ice as the last flicker of life faded from its eyes.

Aeros gave a sigh of relief as the dragon's corpse began to burn away, soon leaving only a skeleton behind. As its soul swirled about him, he felt a little bit of his strength return. Retrieving his sword from the dragon's skeleton, he turned to make sure that Serana was okay.

To his relief, Serana was fine, practically dancing circles around the dragon, avoiding all of its attempts to bite or burn her with ease. "Come on! Is that really all you've got?" she yelled mockingly. But she had gotten too cocky and was so busy taunting the beast, that she forgot to watch out for its tail as it swung towards her..

The tail slammed hard into her midriff, knocking the air out of her and sending her sprawling to the ground. Growling in victory, the dragon opened its mouth and prepared to burn her to a crisp.

"IIZ SLEN NUS!"

A layer of ice formed over the dragon's mouth, freezing it shut. The dragon turned to glare balefully at Aeros, who was now approaching from the side. It snapped the ice with a single flex of its jaws, growling at the Nord, the woman on the ground in front of it now completely forgotten.

Unfortunately for the dragon, that was a big mistake. An arc of lightning crashed against its lower jaw, stunning it for a few seconds. Those seconds were all that were needed though, for Serana to scramble away and for Aeros to close the distance between him and the dovah.

Invigorated by the dragon soul that he had just absorbed, Aeros attacked furiously, his arms moving so fast that his swords were nothing but twin blurs. He landed blow after blow on the beast, all the while dodging its attempted counterattacks.

Already severely weakened after taking so many hits from Serana's magic, the dragon was unable to keep up with Aeros, and the number of cuts and wounds covering its scaly hide slowly began to accumulate. Finally, with a devastating uppercut swing, Aeros delivered the finishing blow.

The dragon sank to the ground, its body already beginning to burn away. As the soul swirled about him before being absorbed, Aeros collapsed against the skeleton, breathing heavily.

"Are you all right?" Serana asked with concern.

"Yeah...yeah, I'm fine," he said slowly, panting from exertion. "It's just...fighting...two dragons at the same time...really takes it out of you. Plus, these two...cheated. Not fair...diving underneath the ice…"

Serana laughed, knowing that Aeros was fine if he was able to crack jokes. She helped him to his feet, and helped him cross the ice towards the Word Wall, circumventing the giant holes in the ice left behind by the pair of dragons..

Once they stood in front of the Word Wall, Aeros removed his arm from around Serana's shoulders and slowly crouched in front of the Word Wall, running his hands along the weathered dragon script. As he read the message inscribed in the black stone, he could feel the thrum of power coming from it, and felt the surge of knowledge and understanding flow into him. When the flow of knowledge had ceased, he straightened, and together, he and Serana made their way back towards the Wayshrine of Resolution.

Unfortunately, finding the location of the last wayshrine proved more difficult than the others had. The only thing they had to go on was that Gelebor had told them that there were five wayshrines, and that they lay scattered across the Chantry. Serana reasoned that the last wayshrine must lay somewhere near the Inner Sanctum, but other than that, they had no clue.

They managed to get a rough idea of where the last wayshrine was by pretending to be Initiates and asking the spectral Prelate for help. But the ghost only pointed out the general direction, claiming that this was part of their journey to enlightenment.

Following the ghost's directions, they fought their way through several Falmer and soon found themselves in front of a glacier.

"The wayshrine is inside of a giant chunk of ice?" Serana asked skeptically.

Aeros shrugged. "It's possible. The one where we met Gelebor was inside of a cave, along with the one after that. And it's been thousands of years since the Chantry was an active place of worship; it could have been swallowed by the glacier. Still, I think you're right. I don't think the last wayshrine of Auriel would be inside of a glacier."

He glanced at the opening at the base of the glacier. "But I guess there's only one way to find out."

As they entered the glacier, the temperature dropped considerably, and they could see their breath misting in front of them. Navigating a narrow opening in the ice, they emerged into a wide crevasse, surrounded by walls of smooth ice that towered overhead. A small lake lay at the bottom, fed by melting ice.

Aeros and Serana moved along a narrow stretch of ice along the edge of the lake, trying to focus on keeping their footing and not falling into the freezing water. Their concentration was broken by a loud bellow, followed by a mass of fur that slammed into Aeros.

Aeros and the frost troll tumbled across the ice, slamming into the walls of the glacier as Aeros attempted to get out from underneath the crushing weight of the troll. But no matter how much he strained, he just couldn't get the leverage he needed to free himself.

He had an idea suddenly, something that might get him out of this mess. He had no idea if it was going to work, but it was definitely better than being crushed to death under a couple hundred pounds of smelly troll.

"Hey, Serana," he grunted.

Serana had been circling the two of them, trying to find an angle where she could attack without risking injuring Aeros. She stopped however, when Aeros called her name.

"Yes?" she answered, still trying to find an opening.

"How good is your aim?" he asked as he avoided the troll's snapping jaws.

"What does my aim have to do with-" she started to ask, but Aeros cut her off.

"Catch!" he said with a grunt before taking as deep a breath as he could.

"FUS RO DAH!" he shouted. The look on the troll's face was almost comical as the force of Aeros's Thu'um lifted it off him and several feet into the air.

It only took Serana a split second to realize what Aeros had in mind, and even less time to react, launching twin ice spikes at the poor troll. One thudded into the beast's chest while the other slammed into its head, practically causing it to explode.

Aeros rolled to the side as soon as the troll was off him, and not a moment too soon, as the body thudded down where he had just been.

He climbed to his feet and dusted himself off. "That worked better than I hoped," he said with a chuckle. "Thanks, Serana. I really wasn't looking forward to being a Dragonborn pancake."

"No problem," she said with a smirk. "But next time, don't go hugging big, furry things. They tend not to like it."

They kept going, and soon found themselves surrounded by Falmer structures. As they repeatedly had to cross narrow bridges, they both noticed uneasily how unstable the things were. They made sure they never took long crossing those.

The Falmer, obviously, didn't like Aeros and Serana entering their territory, but despite their ferocity, they didn't prove much of a challenge. They did have a bit of difficulty with the traps, as it seemed that the Falmer were better at building traps than bridges, but their quick reflexes managed to keep either of them from getting seriously hurt.

As the two of them fought their way through the last of the Falmer, they emerged into broad daylight as they exited the glacier. They stood there blinking for a while, letting their eyes adjust.

When they could see again, they found themselves in what looked like a Falmer village, of all things. Huts stretched on either side of the pass they found themselves in, both on the ground and hanging on the sides of the cliffs.

"Huh," Aeros said in bemusement. "I never thought the Falmer would build something like this out on the surface. I've seen a few similar settlements underground, but nothing this big."

Serana just sighed in resignation. "We're going to have to fight our way through this, aren't we?"

"Looks like it," he answered. "Unless the Falmer have suddenly become pacifists, I don't think they're going to want to just sit down and have tea together."

That got a laugh out of Serana. "Somehow, I have trouble picturing you drinking tea with anybody," she said, grinning.

"And there goes my ego. Thank you, Serana," Aeros grumbled in mock irritation, an effect that was ruined by the grin he was trying to hide.

"You're welcome," Serana said sweetly. "Now, as much fun as I have keeping you humble, how about we actually go find that last wayshrine?"

Once again they found themselves fighting through waves of vicious Falmer, but unfortunately for the Falmer, they couldn't even begin to match the sheer power and skill of the Dragonborn and pure-blooded vampire.

As the last Falmer fell, Aeros pointed with his sword. "Look, over there. I think that's the final wayshrine."

He was right, as it turned out. Not far from where the Falmer village ended, the last of the wayshrines sat gleaming in the sun. They approached it just as they had with all of the others. Upon noticing their arrival, the spectral Prelate greeted them in much the same manner as the others had, no doubt seeing a pair of Initiates and the Chantry in all of its past glory.

"You've found the Wayshrine of Radiance, Initiates," the ghost said, sounding pleased that they had made it this far. "Are you prepared to honor the mantras of Auri-El and fill your vessel with His enlightenment?"

"Yes," Aeros and Serana said at the same time. They had gone through this so many times, the response was automatic by now. Neither of them could wait to be done with this, if only to not have to put up with this "Initiate" nonsense any longer. Well, that, and the fact that Aeros was getting tired of carrying the pitcher of water around.

"Then may the blessings of Auri-El protect you as you climb the road to the Inner Sanctum and final enlightenment," the dead elf replied. He cast the spell, and the wayshrine rose up out of the ground. "May Auri-El's radiance fill your heart with joy."

Aeros filled the ceremonial ewer from the basin, filling it almost to the brim. He and Serana exited the wayshrine, feeling a sense of excitement at the idea of almost being done with everything, and finally being able to retrieve Auriel's Bow.

"So where's this Inner Sanctum we're supposed to gain access to?" Serana wondered aloud as they walked away from the wayshrine. "That's where this Vyrthur is, isn't it?"

"I'm guessing that might be it over there," Aeros answered with a grin, pointing. Ahead of them stretched a small snow covered path. At the end of the path stretched a long, graceful stone bridge leading to a great structure.

"That...has to be the place," Serana said in awe. "I've never seen a building like that before. It looks like some kind of temple."

Aeros had to agree. The building looked unlike anything he had ever seen before, refined and graceful despite its size. Somehow though, it gave off a feeling of melancholy and abandonment, a reflection of the tragic fate that had befallen the rest of the Chantry.

The two of them crossed the bridge side by side, speechless. As they entered the courtyard, they were greeted by the sight of a giant statue, the figure's features looking definitely elven. But somehow, Aeros knew that this wasn't a statue of some ordinary snow elf.

Serana also realized this, but she recognized why. "This is a statue of Auriel," she explained, "but it's using the older signs of his power. This temple must be ancient. The bow _has _to be in here."

They ascended the steps behind the statue, finding an empty basin, and a curious design cut into the paved stone. Opposite of the basin was a giant, metal pair of doors with a stylized bronze sun set in the middle.

"Ready to find the bow?" Serana asked.

"I'm just ready to get rid of this damn ewer," Aeros joked. His jovial mood only lasted for a second though, before he became serious. "But yeah, let's get this over with. Let's find Vyrthur, and find Auriel's Bow. The rest we can deal with after."

With that, he turned back to the basin, and emptied the ewer's contents into it. The water filled the basin almost to the brim, but as they watched, it slowly drained away, emerging through a small hole cut in the bottom of the basin and travelling along the channels cut into the stone, outlining the design. As the water flowed towards the far end, it began to fill the carving of the sun set in front of the sanctum doors.

As the last of the water filled the sun carving, it lit up with a green glow. As it did, the metal sun set in the sanctum doors began to spin, and they could hear the sound of bars sliding out of the way. As the metal sun came to a rest, it split two, and the doors swung wide open.

"Time to settle this," Aeros said grimly, as he took the first step forward into the Inner Sanctum of the Chantry of Auri-El.

* * *

Author's Notes: Here's the second part of A New Dawn. I tried my best to skip the majority of the filling the Initiate's Ewer for you guys, since that portion of Touching the Sky isn't particularly interesting, besides exploring the Forgotten Vale, and other random encounters such as with Frost Giants or the dragons. Feel free to leave a review or point out any grammar mistakes I might have missed.

Characters:

Naaslaarum and Voslaarum: The two Revered Dragons you encounter on the frozen lake in the Dawnguard DLC. I have to admit, these two really threw me for a loop when I first encountered them, and they came bursting out of the ice.

Dragon Language:

Zul Mey Gut = Voice Fool Far (Throw Voice Shout)

Joor Zah Frul = Mortal Finite Temporary (Dragonrend Shout)

Iiz Slen Nus = Ice Flesh Statue (Ice Form Shout)

Fus Ro Dah = Force Balance Push (Unrelenting Force Shout)


	12. A New Dawn 3

A New Dawn 3

\- Inner Sanctum -

As Aeros and Serana entered the Inner Sanctum, the first thing they noticed was that it was actually colder in here than it had been outside. The second thing they noticed was all of the frozen Falmer.

"Well, this is creepy," Aeros said uneasily.

"These Falmer are...they're frozen in the ice," Serana said in astonishment. "I wonder how long they've been like this?" She shuddered. "And I thought the Soul Cairn was creepy..."

"Who knows?" Aeros said in reply as he edged past one statue. "They could have been like this since the Chantry fell for all we know. Let's just hope they stay frozen."

And, since the Divines evidently liked to play jokes on him, as soon as he said that, all of the Falmer burst out of the ice and attacked.

"Really?" Aeros asked in annoyance as he parried one Falmer's blade. "Why can these things never just stay dead? Is that too much to ask?"

"I think they just really like you," Serana said with a smirk, raking a group of Falmer with an arc of lightning.

"Well that's just peachy," he said sarcastically, stabbing another Falmer through the gut. The thing shattered as the enchanted blade punched through its stomach. "When I want the affection of a bunch of Falmer-cicles, I'll let them know."

Serana just laughed as she killed another frozen Falmer.

They fought their way through the rooms, killing each Falmer as it broke out of its icy shell and attacked. Eventually, they found themselves surrounded by walls of ice.

"Did we miss a sign that said 'Auriel's Divine Glacier' somewhere?" Serana asked.

Aeros chuckled. "If we did, I'm blaming you. But I think it's probably the same thing that froze all of those Falmer. We'll probably find out when we confront Vyrthur."

Aeros jumped down a ledge and helped Serana down. They turned down a hallway and found themselves in what looked almost like a throne room. Except most throne rooms didn't have giant spikes of ice everywhere and weren't filled with frozen Falmer and Chaurus.

As they entered the room, they could see a snow elf reclining on the throne.

"Did you really come here expecting to claim Auriel's Bow?" Arch-Curate Vyrthur called out derisively. He sneered at them. "Yes, I know why you're here. But you've done _exactly _as I predicted and brought your fetching companion to me."

Besides Aeros, Serana stiffened. "Wait, is he talking about me?" she asked in confusion. Aeros only shook his head in response. He had no idea what the elf was talking about either.

Vyrthur wasn't done yet though. "Which, I'm sorry to say, means your usefulness is at an end!"

He waved his hand and around them, statues began exploding as the Falmer were freed from their icy prisons.

Finding themselves surrounded, Aeros and Serana went back to back. Working together, they fended off the Falmer's attack and retaliated viciously with their own counterattacks.

Aeros parried a Falmer's blade as it lunged at Serana's back, punching his other blade through its chest. Serana pulled Aeros down as a stream of acidic Chaurus saliva arced over their heads. The vile fluids splashed on a Falmer shaman's chest and began eating its way through the frozen flesh. A split second later, Aeros decapitated three Falmer that had been rushing at them while Serana reduced another group to fragments of ice.

So it went for several adrenaline filled minutes, before the waves of enemies began to finally thin and at last stopped.

As the last Falmer shattered, Vyrthur clapped mockingly.

"An impressive display, but a wasted effort. You delay nothing but your own deaths!"

A golden aura of magicka flashed around him and the room shook.

"Watch out!" Serana cried. "He's pulling down the ceiling!" She pulled Aeros out of the way just in time, as a giant chunk of mortar and stone crashed down where they had just been standing.

"Finish them!" the Arch-Curate commanded, as more of the ice statues exploded.

They fought desperately, parrying and dodging blows from the Falmer while frantically trying to avoid the falling chunks of ceiling.

But their teamwork and skill managed to save them, and again they destroyed the Falmer.

Vyrthur was pulsing with anger now. "This has gone on long enough!" he yelled, and in front of them, a portal opened, summoning a giant frost atronach.

"Your life ends here, Vyrthur!" Serana cried

"Child, my life ended long before you were born!" he sneered. "And for your insolence, I will feed your corpse to the Betrayed!"

But as they continued to slay the Falmer, Vyrthur began trembling with rage. He rose out of his throne furiously.

"No!" he screamed. "I won't let you ruin centuries of preparation!"

Aeros's and Serana's eyes widened as they watched Vyrthur draw in more and more magicka, surrounding himself with it. The room began shaking violently, rubble falling here and there.

"Surrender and give us the bow!" Serana shouted courageously, although Aeros thought he detected a faint tremor in her voice. He didn't blame her. Parts of the walls and ceiling were now breaking away from the room around them, along with slabs of ice bigger than giants. Everything began to float around Vyrthur as he began glowing from the raw magicka.

"Death first!" Vyrthur cried, and in that moment, it was like a supernova went off.

Aeros and Serana were sent flying through the air, forced to close their eyes so they weren't blinded. Aeros felt his body slam against a wall before he hit his head on something and his consciousness slipped into darkness.

When Aeros came to, he was underneath a pile of rubble, with Serana trying to drag him out. All around them was daylight, the entire room having been blasted to bits by the force of Vyrthur's spell.

"Are you alright?" Serana asked in concern when she saw he was conscious. "Can you move?"

"Yeah...I'm alright." Aeros groaned.

"Thank the gods," Serana said in relief. "Come on, we can do this. I know we can."

She helped Aeros push the rubble off of himself and climb to his feet. As he stood, he grit his teeth against the waves of pain that assaulted him, his body screaming at him in protest.

"Where's Vyrthur?" he grated, trying not to show Serana how badly he was hurt. Based off of the agony in his sides, at least a couple ribs were broken.

"He's up there on the balcony. Come on!"

They ran up the stairs to the balcony. Vyrthur stood there waiting for them. He was clutching one of his arms in pain.

"Enough, Vyrthur. Give us the bow!" At that point, Serana seemed ready to take Vyrthur apart.

"How dare you," Vyrthur growled. "I was the Arch-Curate of Auri-El, _girl_. I had the ears of a god!"

"Until the 'Betrayed' corrupted you," Serana snapped. "Yes, yes. We've heard this sad story."

Vyrthur sneered. "Gelebor and his kind are easily manipulated fools," he spat. "Look into my eyes, Serana. You tell me what I am."

Serana glared at him, but then her eyes widened and she took an involuntary step back. "You're...you're a vampire?" she gasped. "But Auriel should have protected you…"

"The moment I was infected by one of my own Initiates, Auri-El turned his back on me," Vyrthur snarled. "And so I swore I'd have my revenge, no matter what the cost."

"You want to take revenge...on a god?" Serana asked in disbelief. Even Aeros couldn't believe his ears, and he had killed Alduin.

"Auri-El himself may have been beyond my reach, but his influence on our world wasn't. All I needed was the blood of a vampire and his own weapon, Auriel's Bow."

Serana frowned. "The blood of a vampire...Auriel's Bow…" Everything began to fall into place then, and Aeros realized it only a moment before Serana. "It...it was you?" she asked angrily, her eyes filled with fury. "You created that prophecy?"

Vyrthur straightened and stalked towards Serana. "A prophecy that lacked a single, final ingredient...the blood of a pure vampire. The blood of a Daughter of Coldharbour."

With a snarl, Serana grabbed Vyrthur by the front of his armor and lifted him off the ground. "You were waiting...all this time for someone with my blood to come along," she said with a snarl, her fangs bared. "Well, too bad for you. I intend on keeping it. So let's see if your blood has any power to it!"

She threw Vyrthur into the stone railing. He slammed into it hard enough to crack it, pieces falling off the cliff below.

Staggering to his feet, he glared at Aeros and Serana. "No! I will not be defeated-!" he started to say. But Serana, still filled with rage, closed the gap between them in the blink of an eye and plunged her dagger into a gap between the pieces of his armor.

Vyrthur's words died in a gurgle. He stared at Serana in shock. "Go to hell," she said savagely, pulling her dagger out. Vyrthur collapsed against the railing, clutching his chest and trying to keep the blood from coming out.

"Farewell," he whispered, and then with one last rattling breath, Arch-Curate Vyrthur died.

As her anger faded, Serana leaned against Aeros tiredly. "Are you alright?" he asked gently.

"Sorry…" she said, fighting back tears. "It's just...hearing him say that he created that prophecy, the thing that led to my family's destruction...I couldn't let him live a second longer."

"I understand," Aeros told her softly, wrapping his arms around her in a hug. "I've been there. You did what you felt you had to."

They stood there for a while, until behind them, the ground rumbled as a wayshrine rose out of it.

"Come on," Aeros said gently. "Let's go talk to Gelebor."

Serana nodded and pulled herself from Aeros's arms, not wanting to look weak. The two of them walked down the stairs slowly, feeling more tired than ever before.

"So, the deed has been done," Gelebor said as they approached. "The restoration of this wayshrine means that Vyrthur must be dead and that the Betrayed no longer have control over him."

Aeros shook his head. "The Betrayed weren't to blame."

"What?" Gelebor said in shock. "What are you talking about?" he demanded.

"A vampire. Vyrthur was a vampire. He controlled the Betrayed, not the other way around."

That made Gelebor pause. "A vampire?" he said thoughtfully. Slowly, he nodded. "Yes, I see. That would explain much. Deep inside, it brings me joy that the Betrayed weren't to blame for what happened here."

"Really? Why?" Aeros asked, surprised.

"Because that means there's still hope that they might one day shed their hatred and learn to believe in Auri-El once again. It's been a long time since I felt that way, and it's been long overdue." He smiled wanly at them. "My thanks to both of you."

"You're welcome," Aeros said humbly. "I'm glad we could help."

"You risked everything to get Auriel's Bow, and in return, you've restored the Chantry. I can't think of a more deserving champion to carry it. Go then, take it." Behind Gelebor, there was a flash of light from inside the wayshrine. When Aeros and Serana looked, a golden bow floated in the center of the wayshrine, spinning slowly.

Approaching slowly, Aeros almost reverently reached out and took a hold of the bow. It was lighter than he expected, but he could feel the raw power coursing through the weapon.

He showed it to Serana. "What do you think?" he asked.

She examined the bow thoughtfully. "Its...not as shiny as I was expecting," she admitted. "Still, it's beautiful."

Aeros turned to face Gelebor, still holding the bow. "Gelebor, what can you tell me about Auriel's Bow? If I'm to carry this, I need to at least know what it's capable of."

"Well, the bow was said to be carried by Auri-El himself into battle against the forces of Lorkham in ancient and mythic times. Its craftsmanship has no equal anywhere in Tamriel, and possibly beyond."

"I can tell," Aeros agreed. "I've never seen anything like it. But what can it do?"

"The bow draws its power from Aetherius itself, channeling it through the sun. Therefore, when an arrow is loosed from the bow, it produces a magical effect very similar to being burned by fire."

"Wow," Serana said from off to the side. "That sounds powerful."

Gelebor chuckled. "That's actually only a fraction of its potential. With Sunhallowed Arrows, you would be able to produce a much more spectacular effect, causing bursts of sunlight to envelop your foes. The sunbursts would certainly hurt anything, but is especially devastating to the undead."

"Vyrthur said something about using blood, didn't he?" Aeros asked. Serana nodded.

"He did mention something like that. Could that have an effect at all, Gelebor?"

Gelebor frowned. "Well, using an arrow with the bow that's been dipped in blood may cause it to function differently...corrupting its purpose." He didn't like such a disturbing thought, and tried to clear it from his mind. "That's of course if you're foolish enough to try it."

"By the way, Gelebor," Aeros said, a thought occurring to him. "With Vyrthur gone, what will happen to the Chantry now?"

Gelebor sighed. "While it would fill me with joy to see the Chantry returned to its former glory, that time has long since passed. Now that my brother's dead, it's quite possible I am the last of our kind." At that moment, the snow elf seemed incredibly old, burdened by the weight of time.

"Then I've contributed to your kind's extinction," Aeros said bitterly.

"There's no need for that kind of talk," Gelebor admonished him. "I said it was possible. It's also quite possible that there are some other isolated conclaves of snow elves nestled elsewhere in Nirn. I'll also assume Vyrthur didn't exactly give you the option to stay your hand."

Aeros nodded his thanks. "What will you do then?"

Gelebor looked out over the balcony and the vale down below. "For the time being, I will remain here, on the overlook and try to keep the Sanctum free of the Betrayed. You're always welcome to return here at any time, of course."

The three of them talked for a little while longer, but finally, Serana drew Aeros aside.

"So what now?" she asked.

Aeros thought about it. "I guess that now that we have it, we need to be get back to Fort Dawnguard to plan our next move. At the very least, we need a chance to rest and recover our strength."

They said their goodbyes to Gelebor, promising to return and visit again sometime, and stepped into the wayshrine. Serana had to support Aeros slightly, as he began casting restoration spells to heal his broken ribs.

As they moved through the wayshrine's portal leading back to Darkfall Cave, they both glanced back towards Gelebor one last time. He raised a hand in farewell, but to Aeros and Serana, he seemed a very solitary and lonely figure.

* * *

Author's Notes: And so ends Aeros's and Serana's search for Auriel's Bow. Now all that remains is to stop Harkon and make sure he can never fulfill the Tyranny of the Sun. As always, leave a review or point out any mistakes I might have made!

Characters:

Arch-Curate Vyrthur: Knight-Paladin Gelebor's brother. Turned into a vampire long ago by one of his own Initiates, Vyrthur swore revenge on Auriel and set in motion the chain of events that led to the Dragonborn and Serana entering the Vale to claim Auriel's Bow.

Dragon Language: None used.


	13. A New Dawn 4

A New Dawn 4

\- Fort Dawnguard -

Aeros stared absently at the far wall, not really seeing it. He was sitting on his bed, his armor stripped from the waist up. It had been several hours since he and Serana had returned from the Forgotten Vale with Auriel's Bow. The bow itself was leaning against the wall, where it had sat ever since they had returned. It glowed faintly in the moonlight, and Aeros knew if he looked he would be able to make out every intricate detail of the bow.

But he didn't really even notice the bow, beyond knowing that it was there. He was too busy wrestling with his thoughts, struggling to decide what to do.

Not long after Serana and him had returned with the bow, Isran had called the senior members of the Dawnguard together to begin planning an assault on Volkihar Castle and take the fight right to the vampires. Serana had not been there for the meeting, but Aeros had, and now he struggled to decide whether or not he should tell her.

His mind told him she deserved to know. After all, it was her father that they were trying to stop. But at the same time, his heart was telling him to spare her the knowledge, that she had suffered enough. Part of him wanted to just take her and run far away from all of the fighting. _Haven't we done enough?_ he thought. _We've traveled all across Skyrim and managed to retrieve Auriel's Bow before Harkon could. Let someone else do the fighting now._ And yet, he knew that he could never allow himself to let others put themselves at risk while he was stayed safe. And so he sat there in the darkness, his thoughts and emotions twisting and turning in turmoil.

The sound of someone approaching his room dragged him back to reality. He looked up to find Serana standing in the doorway, leaning against the frame. Her eyes glowed in the darkness as she looked at him in concern.

"So what do we do now?" she asked. Ever since they had returned to Fort Dawnguard, he had been quiet and reclusive, avoiding everyone. And that worried Serana. For someone so animated and lively as Aeros to suddenly become brooding was unsettling.

Aeros turned to look at her. "Well, the original plan was to take you and the bow and run away to somewhere like Elsweyr," he joked. "Tropical weather, soft sandy beaches, long days of relaxation. Except I don't think you'd like all that sun."

That got a laugh out of Serana. "I think I could get used to it. I don't know about the humidity though, it'd be a nightmare for my hair," she said with that horrible sense of humor of hers.

Her laugh trailed away when she noticed Aeros continued to sit in silence, with something obviously troubling him.

Serana moved off of the door frame and sat down on the bed next to Aeros. She forced him to look at her.

"Okay," she said firmly. "What's wrong? You've been like this almost since we got back to the fort. So what's bothering you?"

Aeros hesitated, but decided that now was as good a time as ever. "Isran…" he paused a moment before continuing. "Isran wants to take the Dawnguard and attack Castle Volkihar."

Serana sighed. "And take the fight right to my father, huh?"

Aeros heard the acceptance in her voice. She knew her father had to be stopped, and knew that doing so would most likely end in his death. Still, hearing her just accept it like that pained Aeros greatly.

"Serana, are you sure you're all right with this?" he asked. "He's still your father."

Serana shook her head sadly. "He stopped being my father a long time ago. And I knew that this day might come from the moment I left the castle and came here looking for you. He needs to be stopped."

They sat there in silence for a while, each preoccupied with their own thoughts. Deciding to change the subject, Serana noticed the bruises marching across Aeros's back, most of them black and blue already.

"You know, you should really get someone to look at these," she said. "Vyrthur did drop a roof on you after all. Most people wouldn't even be alive after that, let alone able to still fight."

Aeros shrugged, although that brought a slight wince. "Then it's a good thing I'm not like most people. Trust me, I've had worse. I let my guard down fighting a giant once, right before his pet mammoth tried to trample me, and Alduin definitely wasn't as gentle as a bunch of falling rocks. Besides, I've already healed everything serious for now. No more broken bones, no more torn muscles."

"You're so stubborn."

Serana shifted next to him, and placed a hand on one of the larger bruises on his back. Her hand felt cool against his skin, soothing a little bit of the pain.

Aeros chuckled. "I'm a Nord. We have to be stubborn. Have you seen where we live? Bandits, wolves, bears, saber cats, dragons. If we weren't so stubborn, I think we'd have packed up and left a long time ago. Of course, that doesn't help you if you anger the women. They're even tougher than us men, and there's nothing scarier than an angry Nord woman. I think even a dragon would be afraid of dealing with something like that."

"And I suppose being stubborn also means things like having a ceiling dropped on you are minor inconveniences?" Serana asked sarcastically.

"Of course," Aeros replied with a grin. "It didn't even hurt that much."

Serana glared at Aeros for a bit before poking one of the larger bruises on his back. Aeros jumped, wincing at the pain.

"Didn't even hurt, huh?" Serana asked again, grinning wickedly.

"Why you!" he growled in mock anger.

Turning, he tried to grab her, but she slid out of his grasp with a soft laugh. That laugh turned into a surprised yelp when he managed to grab her and pin her against the bed's headboard. They stared at each other breathlessly, their faces only a few inches apart.

The air was filled with the same tension that they had both felt before back in that abandoned shack, when Aeros had saved Serana and given her his blood.

Unable to look away, Aeros drank in the image of her. Her softly glowing eyes, the shape of her soft lips, the shapely curves of her body…

Serana was just as mesmerized. She could feel the heat of his body, made all the more intense since he wasn't wearing any clothing above his waist. Like this, she could make out every muscle along his stomach and chest, well-defined after years of training and fighting, every mark and scar where an enemy's weapon or a dragon's teeth or fangs had gotten through his armor a memento of countless battles fought, all of them serving as a testament of his skill in battle and his will to survive. His face was outlined in stubble from the long days they had been out on the trail, his short brown hair that was so unusual amongst Nords a little longer than usual.

Staring into his bright blue-grey eyes, Serana once again realized how much Aeros had been through. His face was that of a man in his twenties, yet his eyes reflected a man with experience far beyond his years, forced to make decisions and endure trials that men twice his age could not even begin to imagine.

Staring back into Serana's glowing eyes, Aeros realized how far the two of them had come. Not so long ago, someone with eyes like hers would have sent him scrambling for his sword, but with her he felt completely at ease, willing to trust her with his life.

Now though, he could see some other emotion burning intensely in her eyes, and he had a feeling that the same emotion was reflected in his own. Slowly, the two of them drew closer together.

The sound of footsteps forced them apart, and by the time Isran entered the room, Aeros was once again sitting on the bed while Serana leaned against the wall. His normal scowl deepened upon seeing Serana, but he forced himself to ignore her.

"We're still finishing preparations, but the Dawnguard should be ready to attack Castle Volkihar by dawn," he told them.

Serana frowned, and Aeros shook his head. "It won't be enough," he said. "The Dawnguard has nowhere near enough men to storm a place like Castle Volkihar, even if we were to take every last man and leave For Dawnguard completely unprotected. And that's not an option, not with those refugees outside.

"Are you saying we can't handle ourselves against a bunch of filthy bloodsuckers?" Isran asked with a sneer.

Aeros forced himself not to raise his voice. He had known that Isran was going to be obstinate, refusing to believe that a group of vampires could be stronger than the Dawnguard.

"It's not that simple," he explained. "These aren't normal vampires we're facing. They are far stronger than regular vampires, and they'll have the advantage fighting in such a defensible place like that castle. Besides that, I counted more than twice as many vampires compared to how many men we have, even with the recent influx of recruits. And that's not including Harkon himself. I could feel the raw power emanating off of him, and that was before he even transformed into his Vampire Lord form. If left unchecked, he could easily slaughter half of the Dawnguard on his own. In other words, the vampires have us beat in terms of both numbers and raw power."

Serana spoke up then. "Not to mention, before my family became vampires, my father was a powerful lord of Skyrim, and was well acquainted with the use of tactics and strategy in battle. That is part of the reason for why he has managed to rule over Skyrim's vampires for so long.

Aeros nodded. "By now, Harkon no doubt knows that we will eventually try coming after him. If he's smart, he'll have pulled in every vampire he can from the moment he noticed that Serana had fled with the Scroll. Attacking him now would be complete suicide. We would practically be handing him Auriel's Bow."

"So we just wait a week or two and gather our strength," Isran said simply, still refusing to see the full scope of things.

Aeros shook his head. "No. If we wait too long, we'll get overrun. Right now, I'd guess we only perhaps a week at most before Harkon learns we have the bow. After he does, it won't be long before he overwhelms us with sheer numbers.

That got a few choice words out of Isran. "So what do we do then?" he growled. "Either sit here on our arses and wait to die, or throw themselves on their swords?"

Aeros shook his head again. "Neither," he said with a smirk.

Serana leaned forward to get a better look at Aeros's face and grinned. He had that look in his eyes that he got when he had an idea. "What are you planning?" she asked.

"If Harkon has an army, then that just means we need an army of our own."

"And how do you propose we do that?" Isran asked. "You just said we can't afford to wait a week or two, and the Dawnguard doesn't have that many allies in the first place."

"Simple. I've made quite a lot of friends during my time here in Skyrim. I had a feeling it might come to this, so let's just say I've called in a couple favors. I hope we have enough provisions, because Fort Dawnguard is about to become really crowded."

* * *

Author's Notes: So I'll be honest with you. This took me so long because I actually wrote out the rest of the arc. I had some ideas for what I wanted to do, and I wanted to make sure they worked together as a whole. With that being said, I'll post the rest of the chapters throughout this week, at least one chapter per day. Like usual, point out any errors you see, leave a review, or add this story to your favorites!

Dragon Language: None used.


	14. A New Dawn 5

A New Dawn 5

After he had finished explaining his plan to Isran and the man had left to inform the rest of the Dawnguard, Aeros immediately began gathering his gear.

Serana watched him move about the room, buckling on various pieces of his armor.

"Are you sure you don't want to stay and rest?" she asked. "You've barely gotten more than an hour or two of sleep since before Darkfall Cave, maybe even Ancestor Glade."

"I can rest later," Aeros said as he picked up one of his swords. "Right now, I need to alert as many allies as I can about what's going on."

"And how exactly are we going to do that?" Serana asked, making sure to put an emphasis on the 'we.' "The closest hold is Riften, and I don't think they're going to be able to lend us all that much support."

"Like I said, I had a feeling it would come to this," Aeros said. "When we stopped in Whiterun, I asked Lydia to contact the rest of my housecarls and have them explain the situation to the Jarls. On our way back from Darkfall, I sent a message to Lydia and the others, asking them to hurry and meet us here at Fort Dawnguard. I also asked the Companions for help and contacted the College, but there are a few others I wasn't able to get in contact with that might prove useful. If they'll even listen to me, that is."

"Well, unless they're within walking distance, I don't know how you're going to talk to them."

Aeros glanced over at Serana and grinned. "Who said anything about walking?"

* * *

\- Outside Fort Dawnguard -

Aeros and Serana walked past the members of the Dawnguard that were rushing about as they worked on preparations for the assault. Walking down the path and out of sight of Fort Dawnguard, Aeros found a large clearing. He glanced around to make sure that no one was nearby.

"So how is this going to get us anywhere faster?" Serana asked.

"Just watch," Aeros replied with a smirk. He looked up at the night sky and took a deep breath.

"OD AH VIING!" he shouted, his Thu'um echoing through the air. Serana glanced at him questioningly. The clearing fell silent again as Aeros's Thu'um faded, but he simply stood staring expectantly at the sky. Before she could say anything though, a dragon's roar sounded in the night.

She looked around in alarm. The dragon cried out again, this time sounding closer. A dark form swept over them.

"Look out!" she cried as the silhouette descended towards them. But Aeros didn't move. Instead of attacking though, the dragon slowed its descent and landed in front of them.

"Greetings, Dovahkiin," the dragon said. "It has been a long time since we last spoke." In the pale light of the moons, Serana could see that the dragon had red scales and based off of its voice, was male.

"Hello again, Odahviing," Aeros said in reply. Serana could only listen in shock as Aeros talked to the dragon like an old friend. "I've been a little busy lately, and haven't had much time to talk with old friends."

Odahviing laughed at that, a low rumble that seemed to make the earth shake. "You never stop rushing about, Dovahkiin. It never ceases to amaze me. But why have you called me here? Surely it was not just for conversation."

"No," Aeros sighed, and he explained the whole situation to the dragon.

Odahviing listened until the end, before laughing again. "So you need to move quickly? Very well, Dovahkiin, I will carry you and your companion where you need to go. After all, there is no better way to travel than flying through the sky!"

He shifted slightly, turning so that they could climb on his back. Aeros got on first, climbing up with the practiced ease of experience. He leaned down and offered Serana a hand, pulling her up behind him. She took a while to find a comfortable spot, but finally managed to find one.

Aeros turned and looked at Serana over his shoulder. "You might want to hold on to something," he suggested.

Odahviing, sensing that they were ready, thrust off the ground with a flap of his wings. Serana lurched forward and threw her arms around Aeros as they rose off the ground.

As Fort Dawnguard dwindled quickly behind them, Aeros laughed aloud at the feeling of flying again.

Behind him, Serana let go and looked around. She had to admit, she had never seen a view like this before, and it was absolutely breathtaking. As Odahviing banked to the west though, she had to grab Aeros again to steady herself.

"Aeros, I swear if we fall, I'll make sure to kill you myself before we hit the ground!" she growled. That just made Aeros laugh even more.

* * *

\- Sky Haven Temple -

Serana gazed at Alduin's Wall in awe, staring at the stone prophecy depicting the return of Alduin and the rise of the Dragonborn, of Aeros. She ran her fingers over the stone carving depicting Aeros's battle with Alduin, marveling once again at the fact that she was travelling with a living legend, someone straight out of the myths that she had loved to read as a child. She was pulled from her thoughts by the sound of shouting.

"This isn't some small little problem, Delphine! It's something easily equal to Alduin's return!"

The doors leading out to the training grounds burst open, and in stormed a furious Delphine followed by a frustrated and equally angry Aeros.

"Turn around and look at me, Delphine! Tell me to my face that you're okay with allowing Skyrim to be overrun just because of an old grudge!" Aeros was trying to keep his anger under control, but wasn't having much success.

"You know the terms we gave you, Aeros." Delphine's voice was icily calm, barely masking a fury as great as Aeros's. "Until you kill that traitor, the Blades will not assist you in any way." She turned away.

"So you're content to just sit here as the rest of Skyrim burns? I never thought you were such a Nikriin!"

Delphine whirled around with a snarl, blade drawn. Aeros was even faster though. Before her sword could even get close to him, it stopped, prevented from going any further by Aeros's grip on Delphine's wrist. At the same time, the edge of his sword was pressed against the side of her neck, the razor sharp blade causing a slight bead of blood to form.

It all happened in a split second, almost faster than anyone could see. But in that brief moment, Aeros sent a very clear message to Delphine.

The entire room was dead quiet as the two warriors stood staring at each other. Serana shivered at the look in Aeros's eyes. She had grown used to the warm and caring man who risked his life for the sake of others. But in that moment, all emotion was gone from his eyes, leaving only deadly intent.

"Enough of this, you two," Esbern said, placing a hand on both of their arms. "We should not fight each other."

Aeros closed his eyes and took a deep breath. When he opened his eyes again, Serana saw the Aeros that she knew return.

"Delphine, you have to give up on this hatred. It's consuming you and makes you see every old wound as a fresh cut. You keep saying that as long I allow Paarthurnax to live, as long as I believe in a possible peace between us and the dragons, I disgrace the memories of fallen Blades. Is it so wrong of me to want peace, to seek an end to all this bloodshed?"

He sighed and lowered his sword. "If you won't help us, fine, but you can't allow your thirst for revenge against the Thalmor to turn the Blades into your own personal army to use against whomever you see fit. If you do, your hatred will kill the Blades before they even have a chance to reform."

He sheathed his sword and turned to Esbern. "Thank you for meeting with us, Esbern," he said with a respectful nod to the elderly Blade. "We'll be going now."

Motioning for Serana to follow him, Aeros left Sky Haven Temple. He didn't say anything the entire way down the mountain, not even while waiting for Odahviing to arrive. Serana could feel the anger burning inside him, and knew he was just barely managing to keep it under control.

As the great red dragon landed, he tilted his head upon seeing the expression on Aeros's face. "Ah, so they still still refuse to help you," he guessed.

"Of course," Aeros grated out. "After explaining everything that was going on and asking for their help, the first thing Delphine said to me was 'Have you killed Paarthurnax yet?' The first thing! It's been over a year since I killed Alduin and it was like she didn't even hear what I had said. Mey! Koraavnu pahlokaal mey!"

In his anger, his voice slipped into the dragon language, and his Thu'um made the earth shake and nearby trees to quiver. With a great force of will, he forced himself to calm down, allowing everything to return to normal.

Odahviing seemed amused by it all. "You can not expect such a strong hatred like that to disappear in such a small amount of time, Dovahkiin. Even you cannot change the hearts of men and mer so easily."

"I know that," Aeros said with a sigh. "Even so…" He shook his head in frustration. "Come on, let's get back to Fort Dawnguard. Hopefully we won't need the Blades, if everyone got my message."

* * *

\- Fort Dawnguard -

When they arrived back at the fort, Aeros and Serana were greeted by the Companions, the mages from the College, and his own housecarls. All around them, men rushed to finish preparations for the assault.

But none of those men were sent by the Jarls or the Legion.

Aeros didn't even need to hear his housecarls' reports to know what had happened. The Jarls had not believed him about the threat these vampires posed, and were unwilling to risk their own men for something that could be seen as an act of aggression by the other Jarls.

"Not even Elisif or Balgruuf sent us any men?" he asked with a weary sigh.

Jordis shook her head. "Queen Elisif wanted to help," the blonde housecarl answered, "and was prepared to send more than two dozen of her own men and Legion soldiers, but her advisors and General Tullius recalled the men, saying that you were exaggerating the threat."

Lydia told a similar story. "Jarl Balgruuf believed you regarding the threat that the vampires pose, but the majority of his men were off dealing with a resurgence of Stormcloak activity in the southern portion of the hold and were not expected back for several days. He promised to send men as soon as he could, but it is unlikely that they will arrive in time."

"Gods damn it, I hate politics," Aeros growled. He looked at his housecarls and the others. "Well, we'll just have to make do with what we have. For now, go help where you can with the preparations. We're moving at dawn, before Harkon has a chance to learn we have the bow, and strengthen his defenses even more."

Everyone filed out of Fort Dawnguard's central chamber. Serana likewise disappeared somewhere. Aeros closed his eyes and leaned wearily against a wall, sighing. He could feel the aches in his muscles, screaming at him to rest. But he couldn't, not yet.

"Harbinger?"

Aeros opened his eyes to find the Circle standing in front of him. Farkas and Vilkas looked at him in concern, while Aela simply stood back, frowning.

"Are you all right, Aeros?" Vilkas asked. "You seem...different than usual."

Aeros waved him off. "I'm fine, Vilkas. I'm just tired. Everything's been moving so fast, I haven't really gotten the chance to rest. The past several weeks have involved me running from one end of Skyrim to the other, all the while having to keep an eye out for vampire pursuers." He saw that they still seemed concerned and laughed. "Don't worry, I'll be back to normal in time for the battle."

That seemed to satisfy the brothers, although Vilkas still didn't seem fully convinced. Before he could say anything though, Aela spoke up. She had been watching Aeros carefully as he talked, and moved up next to him.

"Don't worry, brothers. I will make sure our Harbinger gets the rest he needs. Now, how about you two go make sure these people know which end of a sword to hold."

The two of them nodded and followed everyone else outside. Aeros and Aela walked down the hallway towards the stairs leading up to the second floor. They walked in silence for a while, neither saying anything, before Aela finally spoke.

"So, what's really wrong Aeros?" she asked, glancing at him out of the corner of the eye.

"I told you, I'm just-"

"Don't lie to me," she interrupted, in a voice that brooked no argument. "I've traveled with you a long time, and I've seen you go far longer without rest without issue. But I've never seen you like this. You're pale and look as weak as a newborn pup. So tell me the truth. What's going on?"

"It's nothing," Aeros said, not looking her in the eyes. "I'm just a bit drained is all."

Aela stared at him intently, before his words clicked and her eyes widened in understanding. She stopped, and Aeros had no choice but to stop as well.

"It's because of that vampire you've been traveling with, isn't it? The one who was with you in Whiterun."

Aeros didn't say anything, instead looking away. That was all the answer Aela needed.

"She's been feeding off you, hasn't she?" she said with a sneer. "I thought you said she wasn't like other vampires. Don't tell me you didn't know?"

"Of course I knew. I'm the one who made her drink my blood!"

Aela was caught off-guard by that. She had been expecting him to say he had caught her feeding on him and had forgiven her or something like that, since it was in Aeros's nature to be forgiving of others. But she hadn't expected him to say this.

"You made her...I don't understand?" she said in confusion.

Aeros leaned against a wall and explained what had happened on their way to Darkfall Cave. How Serana had collapsed, how he had carried her into an abandoned shack, and how he had slit his own wrist and forced her to drink his blood. He also mentioned how long he suspected it had been since Serana had last fed. The memory of how pale and weak she had looked still made him shudder.

"I'm surprised she didn't drink you dry," Aela whispered at the end.

Aeros grinned morbidly. "She almost did. That's why I look like shit. But if she needed me to, I'd do it again in a heartbeat."

"And you're still recovering?"

"We fought that crazy snow elf less than a day later. That, combined with all the little encounters with sabre cats, Falmer, bandits, and dragons, means I haven't really had the chance to recover my strength. Even my magic is fizzling out right now. I barely managed to fix my ribs after Vyrthur decided to drop a roof on me."

"And you still plan on facing this Harkon before you're fully recovered?"

Aeros closed his eyes. "I don't have a choice. I'm not going to let him continue to threaten Skyrim or Serana. The plan is to leave tomorrow morning just after dawn. If we're traveling by horse and wagon, that means that we should have at least a few days before we reach Castle Volkihar. That will give me plenty of time to rest and recover."

He flashed Aela a grin, one that looked more like the Aeros she knew. "Don't worry, you're talking to the man who killed the dragon god of destruction. I'll beat Harkon, even if it's through sheer Nord stubbornness."

Aela stared at Aeros. She had known he was a brave and honorable man, always thinking of others before himself. It was why Kodlak had chosen him to be the new Harbinger of the Companions. And what she was hearing right now only added to her admiration and respect.

She nodded slowly. "All right, I'll believe in you, Harbinger. After all, you have not let us down before."

He smiled gratefully at her. "Thank you, Aela, that means a lot. But can you do me a favor? Don't tell anyone else about this, not even Vilkas and Farkas. They'll all have enough on their minds once the battle starts. The last thing they need is to be worrying about me and get distracted during the battle.

Aela hesitated, but finally nodded reluctantly. "Very well," she promised. "I won't tell anyone about this. It'll be just between you and me. Now come on, let's get you upstairs so you can rest."

The two of them slowly made their way upstairs. Neither of them noticed Serana standing around the corner, tears in her eyes.

* * *

Author's Notes: The final preparations for the attack on Castle Volkihar! Everything is rushing together, as the Dawnguard prepares to battle the vampires. Also, I've always thought Delphine was kind of a bitch to you after you defeated Alduin. "Good job! Now go kill Paarthurnax." Just my personal opinion.

Characters:

Odahviing: The former right hand of Alduin. In order to find where Alduin had retreated to after your battle with him on the Throat of the World, you managed to capture Odahviing in Dragonsreach, with Balgruuf's help. He revealed the location to you, and flew you to Skuldafn, later swearing allegiance to you upon your defeat of Alduin. In this version of events, Aeros and Odahviing have since then become close friends, and Aeros often calls upon the red dragon purely for a bit of conversation or companionship.

Delphine: One of the last surviving Blades. Her role was to help you discover why the dragons were returning. That, and be a total bitch.

Esbern: A surviving member of the Blades. He was one of their archivists and he assists and guides you throughout your quest to stop Alduin. The voice for the original Skyrim trailer.

Jarl Elisif the Fair: Widow of the late High King Torygg, and Jarl of Solitude. Following the conclusion of Skyrim's civil war, she was elected High Queen by the Moot.

Jarl Balgruuf the Greater: The Jarl of Whiterun, Jarl Balgruuf plays a key role in the events of Skyrim, such as allowing the Dragonborn to use his keep to capture Odahviing. He is well known for his refusal to take sides in the civil war, his first loyalty being to Whiterun and its people. He eventually agrees to join the Imperial side after the Stormcloaks move to sack his city.

General Tullius: Leader of the Legion in Skyrim. Despite the civil war being over, he is kept busy helping maintain the peace in Skyrim and dealing with remnants of the Stormcloak army.

Kodlak Whitemane: Former Harbinger of the Companions. Sought to cure himself of the beast blood and go to Sovngarde.

Dragon Language:

Nikriin = coward

Mey = fool(s)

Koraavnu = blind

Pahlokaal = arrogant


	15. A New Dawn 6

A New Dawn 6

Aeros groaned in pain as he sat up. Every muscle in his body was screaming at him in pain, and he could feel every last ache and bruise he had collected from his battles over the past couple of weeks. Just trying to form a fist took some effort.

With as much strength as he could muster, he pulled himself out of bed and made his way over towards the chest where he had stowed his equipment. He didn't even make it more than a few steps before he legs began to shake, and he had to catch himself on the sill of a nearby window.

Looking out the window as he steadied himself, Aeros could tell dawn was only a few hours away. He forced himself off of the windowsill and over to his chest, pulling out his weapons and armor, along with a few potions. He slowly donned his armor and strapped his swords to his back.

When he was ready, he pulled himself to his feet and made to head downstairs to help with the final preparations for the assault. As he did however, he paused at the doorway as a glint caught his eye. Glancing over, he saw Auriel's Bow still leaning against the wall where he had left it, the quiver full of Sunhallowed Arrows that Gelebor had given him lying next to it.

"Like being burned by rays of sunlight, huh?" Aeros mumbled to himself as he stared at the weapon.

The very idea of taking the bow with him seemed insane. If they failed, he could very well be delivering the very thing Harkon sought right to him, but a weapon with that kind of offensive capability was too useful to leave behind. Not to mention that there was always the risk that Harkon might send someone to try and steal it. Making up his mind, Aeros slung the bow and quiver of arrows across his back and made his way downstairs.

* * *

\- Outside Fort Dawnguard -

After briefly stopping to grab something to eat, Aeros exited the fort and joined Isran by the main gates, their position overlooking the beehive of activity down below.

Men rushed about, gathering up supplies and hurriedly trying to finish the last of their preparation before they departed. While those that were going loaded up the wagons with supplies and equipment, as well as the boats needed to reach the island, the people staying behind to protect the fort were busy reinforcing the walls and fortifications, and otherwise strengthening their defenses in case they were attacked while the main group was gone.

But Isran's attention was focused on one person in particular, Serana. She seemed to be everywhere, helping load up boats into the wagons, moving the refugees closer to the fort, making sure the mages had enough potions, even helping build makeshift walls using some spare logs to better protect the refugee families.

"You still don't trust her?" Aeros asked, noticing where Isran was looking.

Isran scowled. "She's a vampire. You might have vouched for her, but I still don't fully trust her, and I doubt I ever will."

"Isran…"

"When the time comes, do you really think she'll be able strike down her own father?" Isran asked suddenly.

Aeros watched Serana working so hard to help the others. He could only hope that all of this might mean the Dawnguard would finally trust her when this was all over, see that not all vampires were monsters.

"When the time comes, I'll make sure she never has to find that out," he answered.

"You really think you're the only one who can beat the bastard?" Isran asked, glancing at Aeros.

Aeros nodded. "I do. When I met Harkon, I could feel the raw power rolling off of him as soon as I entered the same room. And that was when he looked human. When he shifted into his vampire lord form...I'll be honest with you. I was scared."

Isran was silent as he digested that. If the man who had killed Alduin had been scared of a vampire…

"He's lived for thousands of years," Aeros continued. "You don't live that long without being incredibly strong and smart. Not to mention the fact that he's absolutely crazy. So yeah, I think I might be the only one who can put this monster down."

"Oh, before I forget. Here." He tossed Isran a large war hammer. "Florentius had me find this while I was out getting new crossbow designs for Sorine. Hammers aren't really my thing so I figured you'd make better use of it. He also had me retrieve some old shield and war axe as well, but like I said, not really my thing, so I passed them out to the other members of the Dawnguard."

Isran hefted the warhammer, testing its balance. When he was satisfied, he slid it on his back. "So that crazy bastard actually proved useful huh? Tell him I said thanks."

"He said Arkay told him about it."

Isran chuckled dryly. "I bet he did."

"Just be careful with it, blasted thing spits out runes like crazy."

Looking down the hill, Aeros could see the last of the wagons were being loaded.

"Looks like everything's just about ready," Aeros said. "If you don't need me, I'm going to go find a wagon for the trip."

Isran just waved him off, so Aeros made his way down down the hill and found a wagon that was fully loaded and climbed in. Finding an open space near the far end of the wagon, Aeros sat down with a sigh. He closed his eyes and leaned against the back of the wagon, trying to catch a little bit of extra sleep. He might have been able to move around and function, but just barely. It would be a few days before they reached Castle Volkihar, and hopefully he would be able to get some much needed rest and regain his strength before the battle with Harkon. Already, he could feel the exhaustion from so many restless nights on the trail catching up with him.

He felt the wagon shift as someone else climbed into the wagon and sat down next to him, but he didn't open his eyes, already knowing who it was. The two of them sat there in silence for a while, content to just be near each other and enjoying the peace while it lasted.

"Aeros? Can I ask you something personal?" Serana's voice was soft, just barely audible over all of the commotion all around them. He opened his eyes and turned to look at her.

"Of course," he said. "What is it?"

"Why did you let me come with you?"

He smirked. "You had pretty eyes."

"Aeros, I'm serious. Why did you decide to trust a vampire like me, even though you were part of the Dawnguard, and had no reason to?"

Aeros thought hard, trying to come up with an answer for her. It was hard though. At some point he had stopped thinking about it, had unconsciously decided to see her as a person, not just some monster out to drink his blood.

"I don't know," he finally admitted. "When I met you, my first reaction was to treat you like I would any other vampire, to treat you like an enemy. But talking with you, traveling with you, I realized you were a human being just like me, not just some bloodthirsty monster."

He paused, and laughed, shaking his head ruefully. "Funny, I just realized that's exactly what people think of werewolves." He unconsciously rubbed a silver ring on his hand, a silver wolf head facing outward.

"Trust came from everything we've gone through together, traveling from one side of Skyrim to the other, exploring caves and ruins, fighting together, and letting you trap part of my soul so I could enter the Soul Cairn. During all of that, I began to see you as not just a companion, but as a friend, someone I was willing to give up my life for."

"But after meeting your mother, and seeing that both her and your father had only used you for their own ends, I decided something right then and there." He looked Serana in the eyes, and smiled warmly at her. "I decided I would stay with you no matter what and make sure you never feel alone again."

Serana tried to smile, but her eyes filled with tears. "I'm so sorry, Aeros," she whispered. "It's my fault you're like this. If you hadn't given me your blood…"

Aeros wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close. "I don't regret what I did one bit, Serana," he said quietly. "If I could go back, I wouldn't change a damned thing."

"How are you supposed to fight my father when you can hardly stand up?"

Aeros looked down at her, staring into the soft glow of Serana's eyes. He smiled gently and wiped a tear off of her cheek. "The same way I've always done it, when I fought Alduin in Sovngarde, and when I fought Ancano when he had the Eye of Magnus. The same way I ended the civil war, and the same way I kept going after Vyrthur tried to bury me. By refusing to give up and allow others to be hurt. Especially if you're the one who will get hurt if I do, Serana."

Serana pulled him towards her, kissing him passionately. They stayed like that for some time, completely ignoring everything around them. It was only once the wagons began to move that they broke apart, leaning against each other and simply enjoying being near one another.

As they left Dayspring Canyon, Serana glanced over at Aeros. Noticing her gaze, he tried to smile at her, but his eyelids seemed impossibly heavy and try as hard as he could, he couldn't seem to keep them open.

Serana smiled sweetly at him. "Sleep, Aeros. We've got a long ways to go and you need your rest."

She kissed him again, but by then he was asleep. She lay his head on her lap and made sure nothing disturbed him for the rest of the trip.

* * *

\- Nighttime -

Aeros leaned against a tree as he kept watch, peering out into the darkness around him for any sign of movement.

They had traveled all day, only stopping for short breaks and to allow the horses to drink at streams. Finally, as sunset approached, Isran had called a halt, and they found a wide clearing to stop for the night. With a practiced ease and coordination that even the Imperial Legion would envy, the Dawnguard moved quickly to unhitch the horses and set up camp. After a short strategy meeting and dinner, a number of people were assigned shifts for lookout duty, before turning in for the night. Despite how sore and tired he still felt, Aeros volunteered to take a shift, and so just after midnight, he had been woken up by Agmaer for his shift, the last one before sunrise.

A twig snapped behind him, followed by the slight rustle of cloth, drawing him out of his thoughts. However, he didn't move, already knowing who it was. "I had a feeling that you'd follow me," he said.

"I figured you could use the company," Serana replied as she sat down next to him. "Besides, two pairs of eyes are better than one."

Aeros chuckled quietly. "You have a point," he admitted. "But is that really the only reason?"

Serana was quiet for a long time before she answered. "I couldn't sleep," she admitted. "The closer we get to my family's castle, and the battle with my father, the more anxious I feel. I know he has to be stopped, and I've tried to make my peace with it, but...in the end, he's still my father. Did you know that there used to be a time when he and my mother truly loved each other, and we were a normal, happy family? But that was a long time ago, so long that it almost feels like a dream."

Her voice trembled at the end, and Aeros turned to look at her. In the little light there was, she looked like a lost child, frightened and alone.

He wrapped an arm around her and pulled her close. "I can't even begin to imagine what you're going through right now," he said softly. "But know that I will always be there for you, no matter what."

She smiled sadly. "Thank you, Aeros. Knowing that helps, more than you know." She laid her head on his shoulder, and for a while, neither of them said anything as they stared out at the forest around them.

"Aeros?" Serana asked quietly.

"Hmm?"

"Back when you first helped me return to my family's castle, why did you turn down my father's gift, when he offered you his blood? Most men would have gladly killed for that kind of power."

Aeros was silent for several moments as he tried to think of the best way to answer. His mind thought back to when Harkon had offered his "reward" for returning Serana and the Elder Scroll. He still grew angry at the fact that it was the Scroll's return more than Serana's that Harkon had been pleased about. He sighed, and shook his head in an effort to dispel his anger.

"There were several reasons why," he said at last. "I mentioned one reason when we were trying to find your mother and had to enter the Soul Cairn. Most vampires I've encountered, they changed, and in more ways than just their transformation. They became obsessed with power and took pleasure in causing harm to others. Sure, I've met a few that weren't that way, but until I met you, I had met very few vampires that were still...well, human. I was worried that if I accepted your father's offer, I'd lose myself. As for power…" he shrugged. "Well, I already have more than enough of that, more than I ever wanted. And also, after seeing how your father treated you, I kind of just wanted to stick it to him."

Serana smiled at the last reason, feeling an odd sense of happiness that Aeros would turn down her father's offer simply because of her.

"Now I have a question for you," Aeros said suddenly, "something that I've been wondering about ever since the Chantry." Serana winced, already knowing what he was going to ask.

"Why did you refuse to feed for so long? Were you trying to kill yourself?"

She sighed before answering. "You remember when you asked me how I became a vampire?" she asked. Aeros nodded. "I told you that my family took part in a ceremony to Molag Bal on his summoning day, and that my mother and I were offered as...sacrifices to him. I'm sure you can imagine what awaits a sacrifice to the Daedric Prince of Rape." She shuddered, the dark memories of that day rising to the surface. She felt the comforting pressure of Aeros's arm as he squeezed her gently, and with a deep, shuddering breath, she pushed the memories away. "But it doesn't end there, even for those who survive. Molag Bal is also the Prince of Domination after all, and he likes to toy with the lives of others, even his so-called "children." That's why he curses us with a hunger with blood. The hunger never truly goes away, instead only growing until finally we break down and give in to it, further subjugating ourselves to Bal. And if we try to fight it, we grow weak and the sun burns our skin, until we either go feral or die."

"So why?" Aeros questioned, his voice a whisper. "Why did you not feed? Why try to hide it from me?"

She sighed. "Because what did it accomplish? Sure, I could have fed on a bandit, I suppose, or maybe even an animal, but the hunger would have come back within a few days. It might be different if I had some blood potions, but I have no way of obtaining those. As for why I didn't tell you…" She smiled sadly. "At first, it was because I didn't want you to see me as being the same as the rest of my kind, a blood-sucking leech hiding behind a pretty face. I was afraid that you would push me away or even hate me. But after a while, as we traveled together, and seeing how strong you are in the face of adversity, I decided that I was done being a slave to Molag Bal's will. I had already suffered enough at his hands. I wouldn't let my hunger control me anymore, even if it killed me."

When she had finished, Aeros pulled her tightly to him. "I could never hate you, Serana," he said quietly. "But promise me that you won't try to starve yourself again. I don't know what I'd do if I lost you."

He felt Serana nod against his chest. "All right," she said in a small voice. "I promise."

He loosened his grip, but Serana didn't move. Neither of them knew how long they sat like that, and it was only when the first signs of dawn began peeking over the treetops and the camp began stirring that they broke apart. They still had a long journey ahead of them, but they both felt more at ease than they had before.

* * *

Jordis and Lydia fell back from the front of the line, where they had been acting as forward scouts for the rest of the convoy. Falling back towards the rear, they pulled up alongside the wagon that Aeros and Serana were riding in. Glancing inside as they passed, the two housecarls couldn't help but smile. Almost as soon as their group had gotten underway again, Aeros had fallen asleep with his head resting in Serana's lap, looking more at peace than either Jordis or Lydia could remember seeing him in a long time. And based off of the soft smile Serana wore, she did not mind him using her lap as a pillow either.

"All right, I admit it. You were right," Jordis said quietly to Lydia. "I owe you a round of drinks once this is all over." Lydia smirked at her friend and counterpart. Despite the distance that lay between Whiterun and Solitude, the two housecarls had become close friends over the course of their adventures with their Thane and kept in regular contact with each other. After Aeros's and Serana's visit in Whiterun, Lydia had confided in Jordis her suspicions regarding the relationship between the two. Of course, the fair-haired warrior had laughed at her suspicions, so they had started a bet between the two of them regarding who was right. And based off of their observations over the past few days, Lydia had turned out to be right. Of course, that just provided more entertainment for them.

"Are Jordis and Lydia laughing at us again?" Aeros asked without opening his eyes. He could hear the two housecarls nearby, as well as their failed attempts to stifle their laughter. Serana glanced at them out of the corner of her eye, and saw that Jordis and Lydia were indeed laughing and whispering conspiratorially about something, with frequent glances towards their wagon.

"It looks like it," she said with a nod. "I wonder just what it is they find so funny?"

"Who knows?" Aeros groused. "Whatever it is, I'm far too comfortable to lecture them right now." Ignoring his housecarls' laughter, he tried to fall back asleep.

However, his rest was disturbed by a commotion up front. He could hear a number of raised voices and confused shouting. Curious, he sat up and glanced at Serana, who seemed equally curious as to what was the cause of all the noise. Climbing out of their wagon, they made their way up front, where they found several members of the Dawnguard facing off with a group of soldiers wearing Imperial armor, while Isran and a man who looked to be the group's leader were having a heated discussion. From the angle they stood, Aeros wasn't able to get a good look at the man's face, although he did recognize the armor as being the sort typically worn by captains and tribunes in the Legion.

Hearing their approach, both men turned to look at Aeros and Serana. Finally able to get a clear look at the commander's face, Aeros broke out into a grin, recognizing the man staring back at him.

"Hadvar!" he exclaimed with a mixture of surprise and joy at seeing his oldest friend in Skyrim. "What are you doing here?" He hadn't seen Hadvar in quite some time, as he was always either carrying out duties for the Legion or visiting his family back in Riverwood. The last place he would have expected to run into him was out in the middle of the wilderness, especially since he hadn't heard word of any recent Stormcloak activity in the area.

"Aeros!" Hadvar said, clasping his arm in greeting. "It's good to see you again, old friend. And to answer your question, I came to help. I was there when your housecarl, Jordis requested aid on your behalf from General Tullius and Queen Elisif. They might have thought you were exaggerating, but I know you're not one to lie about something like this. So I rounded up some of lads and lasses that happened to be in Solitude and came to help."

He gestured to the soldiers behind him, and Aeros found that he recognized many of the faces. They were nearly all men and women from the company that he had commanded during the civil war. Several of them noticed his gaze and lazily greeted their former commander. He had to suppress the urge to grin. Formalities and ceremony had never been a big thing amongst his men, something that was at least partly his fault.

"Aren't Tullius and Rikke going to be upset that you disappeared with over twenty of their veteran legionaries?" he asked, returning to the matter at hand. Hadvar shook his head.

"I don't know about Tullius, but I'm almost positive that Rikke knew what I was planning," he answered. "I could almost swear that she was actually helping me; she 'accidently' let slip that a number of the lads that I missed were on leave in the city. At the very least, she didn't try to stop me." He shrugged. "Besides, I'm sure that after Tullius hears that you weren't exaggerating, he'll be willing to overlook my decision to help an old friend."

Aeros laughed at Hadvar's carefree response. If he was right about Rikke actually encouraging him, no doubt she would help bring Tullius around and convince him that it was the right decision.

"Aeros," Isran broke in. "I'm assuming by your reaction that these men truly are here to help, and that we can trust them?"

"Absolutely," Aeros said without hesitation. "I fought alongside all of them in multiple battles during the war. They've all proven their worth many times over; they'll be able to handle a fight against vampires without too much trouble."

Isran nodded. "Good," he said gruffly. "The more men we have in our fight against the bloodsuckers, the better." Without another word, he left to go inform the rest of the Dawnguard about the new allies.

"Not much of one for idle conversation, is he?" Hadvar observed. Both Aeros and Serana couldn't help but laugh at his comment.

"Trust me, Hadvar, you have no idea," Aeros told him with a chuckle.

* * *

After Hadvar and his men joined the group, the rest of the journey passed relatively uneventfully. Neither the main group nor their scouts and sentries saw sign of a single vampire, which many of them took as a hopeful sign that Harkon had not yet received word of their planned assault. In addition, they were untroubled by either wild beasts or bandits, as even the most stupid and foolhardy bandits and animals knew better than to attack such a well-armed group. And so it was that only a few days after setting out from Fort Dawnguard, they arrived at Skyrim's northern coastline just as dawn broke.

As the wagons came to a halt and men began unloading supplies, Serana heard a soft tapping on the side of the wagon. Looking over the side, she found Aela standing there.

"We need him awake now," the huntress told her. "It's almost time."

Serana glanced down at Aeros, who was once again asleep with his head in her lap. In fact, he had spent the majority of the journey asleep, in an attempt to recover as much of his strength as possible before the battle against her father. Unfortunately, whether it was the result of her drinking him nearly dry or simply the strain and fatigue of their race across all of Skyrim finally catching up to him, Aeros was recovering far more slowly than normal.

With a reluctant sigh, Serana gently shook Aeros awake. He slowly opened his eyes and looked up at her.

"We're here, Aeros," she said. "It's time to stop my father, and put an end to all of this." He nodded, and she helped him sit up. Climbing out of their wagon, they joined Isran and several of the others at the dock that Aeros and Serana had originally used the first time they had come here. Off in the distance, they could just barely make out the hazy image of Castle Volkihar, shrouded by mist.

At first, Isran did not acknowledge them, instead giving out final orders to the other members of the Dawnguard and again going over the plan for the assault. As the last of the others left, Isran simply stood, staring out at Castle Volkihar.

"How many men do we have here?" he asked suddenly, directing the question at Aeros.

Aeros wasn't sure why Isran was asking him this, since he already knew the answer, but decided to humor the older man. "We left Vanik back at the fort to keep an eye on the recruits, so twenty-two members of the Dawnguard, not counting Gunmar's trolls," he replied. "Another dozen legionnaires thanks to Hadvar. Five of my housecarls, and four of the six mages sent by the College. And Aela, Vilkas and Farkas from the Companions. Everyone else is back at the fort with Vanik to help protect it in case of an attack. And of course, you've got Serana and I. So forty-eight in total, all skilled warriors or mages.

Isran grunted. "Well, it's more than we would have had if we had just charged in there on our own," he admitted. "At least we stand more of a chance now." Before either Aeros or Serana could respond, he left, to go oversee the last of the preparations and find a boat for the journey.

"Does he ever not scowl?" Serana wondered, watching the back of the Redguard as he barked orders.

Aeros gave her an odd look. "Do you not remember the last time he smiled?" he questioned. "Isran smiling is never a good sign. Although…" he suddenly looked thoughtful. "If he were to smile on the battlefield, he might just cause every vampire there to turn tail and run."

They looked at each other and laughed. It was the last light-hearted moment they would have before the battle.

* * *

Author's Notes: Next chapter, the battle to defeat Harkon!

Edit: So as you may or may not have noticed, the Dawnguard featured in my story is bigger than the dozen or so members you see in the game. That's mainly because I felt like there was no way a group like that could efficiently fight and hunt vampires across all of Skyrim. So in addition to the recruits, there is always a certain amount of Dawnguard hunters out roaming Skyrim. That, plus the addition of Hadvar and some of Aeros's old war buddies allows for an even larger battle with the vampires at Castle Volkihar.

Characters:

Ancano: Boss at the end of the College of Winterhold questline. A crazed Altmer and member of the Thalmor who seized control of the Eye of Magnus and attempted to use it to unravel the fabric of reality itself. He was stopped by the combined efforts of Aeros and the College mages, although at the cost of Mirabelle and Savos.

Hadvar: A soldier in the Imperial Legion, Hadvar grew up in Riverwood with Ralof, and is one of two choices for who to follow out of Helgen. One of the first people Aeros met in Skyrim, together they escaped from the destruction of Helgen and took refuge at the home of Hadvar's uncle in Riverwood, Alvor. He encouraged Aeros to join the Legion, and eventually ended up serving under him as second-in-command of his century, or company, and currently holds the rank of tribune. Since the war ended, Hadvar was chosen to work directly underneath General Tullius. Between him being kept busy dealing with threats and problems for the Legion and visiting his family in Riverwood, Aeros and he rarely have a chance to see each other.

Dragon Language: None used.


	16. A New Dawn 7

A New Dawn 7

As the boats drew closer to the castle, a fog rose around them, obscuring most of the island from view. They could just barely make out the castle towers. No one made a sound, almost afraid to break the silence. The only sound was the creak of the boats and the sound of oars dipping into the water. Everyone was on edge, straining to make out any possible enemies in the fog.

As the boats landed on the beach, everyone quietly unloaded, glancing around furtively. But there was no sign of anyone, vampire or otherwise. However, instead of putting them at ease, such an eerie silence only served put everyone even more on edge.

Moving as quietly as they could, everyone gathered at the foot of the great bridge leading to the castle doors.

"Do you think we've caught them by surprise?" Lydia asked. Aela and Serana both shook their head.

"No," Aeros answered, "Harkon's ready for us. They probably saw us back on the shore. And if Harkon's as cunning as I think he is, he's likely already prepared the battleground of his choosing."

"So we're walking into a trap," Isran guessed.

Aeros grinned wolfishly. "Absolutely. But what better way to beat a trap than to spring it? We'll turn their tricks around on them."

By now, the other members of the Circle were all grinning in anticipation. Serana and Lydia though, sighed heavily.

"Honestly…" Serana said.

"You never change, do you, my Thane?" Lydia asked with a shake of her head.

However, no one had any better suggestion, so they continued with the original plan. Moving cautiously, everyone began to advance cautiously across the bridge. The more inexperienced members of the Dawnguard clutched their weapons nervously while the more seasoned warriors kept a constant watch on their surroundings.

They hadn't even crossed a quarter of the bridges length when the situation took a sudden turn for the worse. All around them, grotesque statues exploded into life.

"It's a trap!" someone cried out, just as the castle doors burst open and a flood of vampires and death hounds came charging out.

Everyone froze for a split second. Despite the fact that they had been expecting an ambush, seeing such a large host that was rushing towards them still put everyone off balance Aeros was the first to recover and spring into action.

"YOL TOOR SHUL!" he shouted, and every gargoyle, death hound, thrall and vampire caught in the path of his Shout was incinerated, reduced to little more than ash and bones. With a yell, he charged into the opening he had created, swords drawn and blazing brightly with magic.

Everyone stared in shock for a moment at his actions. Finally, Aela grinned and shook her head.

"Sometimes I think that man is insane…" she said with a laugh. "Still, that's no reason to let him show us up." With a cry, she charged in after Aeros.

That was enough to spur everyone into action again, and with a roar, the two forces crashed together in the center of the bridge. The fight quickly devolved into chaos as the two lines dissolved.

Spells and projectiles flew through the air, striking both sides, as armored trolls ripped through anyone unlucky enough to get in their way. Armored huskies and death hounds fought each other in vicious battles for dominance. Despite the difference in numbers, the Dawnguard and their allies were holding their own.

Lydia bashed a vampire with her shield before thrusting her sword into its heart. As she ripped the blade out, she pulled an axe off her belt and threw it, ducking a blast of blood magic as she did. The axe flew through the air and buried itself in a thrall's chest, throwing him back against several other thralls. As a death hound lunged at her unprotected back, it was sliced nearly in two by Jordis's ebony greatsword, as she whirled and cut down several more vampires. Lydia nodded thankfully to her before the two of them threw themselves back into battle, fighting side-by-side.

Calder disemboweled one thrall with a sweep of his giant battle-axe, before smashing another one with the flat side of it and sending them over the side of the bridge. Nearby, Iona caved a gargoyle's head in with her mace, while Argis watched her back, deftly wielding twin war axes.

Sinking her dagger into the back of a thrall's head, Aela tore it out while avoiding a vampire's blade as the fiend sought to stab her through the chest. With a quick slice of her dagger, she slit its throat. As the vampire fell, clutching vainly at its throat in an effort to stem the flow of blood, Aela stepped over it and moved on to her next foe. Likewise, Vilkas and Farkas carved twin paths of destruction through their foes, their greatswords cutting swathes through the ranks of vampires and thralls and felling any who stood in their way.

Hadvar and the Imperial soldiers, easily falling back onto their tactics from the days of Skyrim's civil war, formed a defensive square, repelling any and all attacks from the vampires.

Isran and the Dawnguard were also proving their worth, all of their training for fighting vampires finally paying off. Isran, of course, was wherever the fighting was thickest, an aura of light surrounding him as his warhammer crushed bones and limbs. Not too far away from the fierce Redguard, Sorine and Gunmar fought together, with Gunmar protecting Sorine while she used the explosive crossbow bolts she had invented to devastating effect. Even the more inexperienced Dawnguard members were holding their own, with the two brightest examples being the pair fighting alongside the more senior members, a redheaded Bosmer and a Nord with straw-colored hair.

However, the fiercest warriors by far were the two leading the assault.

Serana was doing everything she could to keep an eye on Aeros, with anyone foolish enough to get in her way meeting a quick end at the hands of her dagger and magic. She could see Aeros up ahead, and realized for perhaps the first time just how deadly of a warrior Aeros truly was, moving like a shark through water as he cut a bloody swathe through the ranks of vampires and thralls. He whirled his swords effortlessly as he pushed the enemy back, the enchanted dragonbone blades leaving brief red and white afterimages in their wake as they cut through armor and stone-like skin alike with ease. She lost sight of him suddenly when a trio of three gargoyles charged at her. By the time she had dealt with them and regained sight of him, she saw that he was surrounded by foes on every side.

Originally retreating as far away from the deadly Nord warrior as they could get, as Aeros pushed further and further into their ranks, the vampires realized that he was cut off from his allies. Seizing the opportunity, they sent as many of their thralls and gargoyles to deal with him as possible, even a pack of death hounds, until he was completely surrounded.

However, instead of being afraid or perturbed by the ring of enemies surrounding him, Aeros grinned savagely.

"SU GRAH DUN!"

Unleashing his Thu'um just as the monsters attacked, Aeros spun through the enemies in a dance of death, his swords whirling about him and cleaving through any who tried to reach for himspun his swords around him in a dance of death, cleaving through any who tried to reach him. As a gargoyle reached for him, it suddenly found it had no arms. Before it could ponder what that meant, it was decapitated by one of Aeros's blades. A thrall was cut almost in half while another gargoyle was reduced to a steaming carcass. Within seconds, Aeros was surrounded only by bloody carcasses. He grinned at the vampires, who fearfully began to back away. But before he could pursue them...

"Above us!" someone cried out, and Aeros looked up to see a cloud of gargoyles descending towards them. Some of the gargoyles were carrying boulders and seemed prepared to drop them on the combatants.

Thinking quickly, Aeros dropped his swords and summoned as much magicka as he could, until he was cloaked in an aura of lightning, electricity arcing off of him. Raising his hands, he focused all of the magicka into them and unleashed a beam of lightning. Sweeping the beam through the air, he cut through the gargoyles, any caught in the spell's path either plummeting from the sky or outright disintegrating into ash.

As he stopped the flow of magicka and ended the spell, he staggered against the side of the bridge. The spell he had used had been a master level spell, one he hadn't quite mastered yet, and its toll it took on him was greater than he'd like to admit. The vampires, who only moments before had been backing away fearfully from him, seeing that he had dropped his guard, charged.

However, before they could even get close to him, they were met with a barrage of ice spikes and bolts of lightning, as a furious Serana rushed to Aeros's side. By the time the vampires managed to retreat, almost a dozen of them had died.

"Thanks," Aeros said, as he finally recovered from the spell's after-effects. Serana smiled at him.

"Come on," she said. "There are only a few left."

The words had just barely left her lips when the castle doors flew open again, and another wave of vampires and thralls appeared, this one even larger than the last. Isran swore loudly and tried to order everyone to fall back, but they were all scattered amongst the melee.

Realizing the danger that everyone was in, Aeros did the only thing he could think of. Pulling Auriel's Bow off of his shoulder, he quickly nocked one of the Sunhallowed Arrows that Gelebor had given him. Pulling the string back as far as he could, he took aim...not at the fast-approaching horde of vampires, but at the sky, towards the sun itself.

_Like being burned by rays of sunlight…_

He fired the arrow, and watched as it arced upwards towards the sun, before vanishing amidst the blinding light.

"Aeros, what-?" Serana started to ask, before a loud boom shook the air. Aeros pulled Serana to the ground and shielded her with his body as the first sunbursts began to fall from the sky. The sunbursts crashed down amongst the ranks of the horde of vampires, and screams filled the air as numerous vampires, thralls, and gargoyles were enveloped by the burning rays of sunlight.

Only when the sunbursts had stopped falling, did Aeros get off of Serana and help her to her feet. He glanced towards his friends and heaved a sigh of relief when he saw that they were unharmed. When he glanced towards where the host of vampires had stood though, he sucked in his breath in disbelief. Where once the vampires had stood, now only ashes and charred corpses remained. Not a single vampire or thrall was still alive.

"So that's the power of the weapon of a god," Serana breathed. "Just one more reason why it should never fall into my father's hands." Aeros simply nodded.

Once everyone had recovered from their shock, they made their way to the castle doors. However, the doors would not budge.

"It's locked tight," Isran growled. "We're sitting ducks out here while we try to get this open!"

The mages made as if to begin casting spells, but Aeros motioned them back. Facing the gate he took a deep breath.

"FUS RO DAH!"

The doors flew backwards in an explosion of stone and metal. With a yell, everyone charged into the castle. Only after he was sure everyone had gone inside, Aeros let himself collapse. Blood spewed from his mouth as he coughed violently. He leaned against the nearest wall for support, but it didn't help. His vision had gone black and his throat and lungs burned from the effort of using three full Shouts one after the other. He gasped for air, but it felt like there was a boulder on his chest.

"Get up...get up…" he growled to himself, trying to force the pain back down. He tried to stand and keep going but someone pushed him down, not letting him up until his fit stopped. After he had stopped, they helped him stand back up.

"Aeros," he heard Serana say. "You need to stop this."

"I'll be fine, Serana," he said in an attempt to reassure her. His vision was slowly returning, and he could see her looking at him worryingly.

Serana wasn't buying it. "You're coughing up blood, Aeros," she said. "That is definitely not fine." Pushing himself off of the wall, Aeros made to move past her, but before he could, Serana grabbed his arm. "Aeros, stop," she said pleadingly. She was close to tears. "Please just stop for one second. You're pushing yourself too far."

Aeros gave her a warm smile. "Don't worry about me. Right now, we need to finish this. You and I are the only ones who can stop Harkon. I can rest afterwards. Where would your father be? He has to have some room or something where'd he go, right?"

Serana saw that nothing she could say would stop him. Slowly, she nodded. "He'd be in the cathedral to Molag Bal."

"Where he's the strongest, huh? Then let's go."

The two of them made their way into the main hall, the sounds of battle echoing all around them.

"Which way?"

Serana pointed down the hall and together she and Aeros made for the room. They were forced to fight their way through the entire length of the hall. As they fought, they moved together in a dance of war and death. It was a terrifying, deadly dance that only they knew the steps to, one formed from all of the months and weeks that they had spent together, fighting and exploring. One never getting in the way of the other, they moved in perfect harmony, protecting each other's blind spots as they dealt death to any vampires that were foolish enough to get in their death to any vampires that got in their way.

Finally, Serana and Aeros stood in front of the doors to the cathedral. The battle still raged on behind them, but they had confidence in their allies' abilities.

"Are you sure you want to do this, Serana?" Aeros asked one final time. "You don't have to go in there with me."

Serana grabbed Aeros's hand and gave it a small squeeze. "We started this together, we might as well end it the same way. And no matter what, I'm not going to leave your side."

Aeros chuckled softly. "Somehow, I knew that was going to be your answer. But I'm glad you said so; I wouldn't have it any other way. Actually, before we go in there, there's something I wanted to ask you."

Serana looked at him curiously. His whole countenance and tone of voice had shifted in a way that Serana had never seen in him before. It was an odd mixture of seriousness, excitement and nervousness, and she couldn't begin to fathom what might be the cause of it. "If we defeat your father…" he began.

"_When_ we defeat my father," Serana corrected him. Aeros smiled.

"All right, _when _we defeat your father, what do you plan to do with your life?"

Serana paused. In truth, she had never really thought about what she would do once they had stopped Harkon, and she had no idea what she would do with herself once it was all over. Well, she did have one idea…

"I don't really know," she said at last. "I suppose I could stay and help the Dawnguard, now that they see the advantage of having a vampire on their side. But if it were possible…" She hesitated. "If it were possible, I'd like to keep adventuring with you. There's still so much of the world that I haven't seen yet, and I want to do it by your side." She blushed, embarrassed at having voiced such personal thoughts and emotions out loud like that.

Aeros smiled softly. "I would be more than happy to have you stay with me," he said. "But as more than just a companion."

"What do you mean?" Serana asked, not following him completely.

He looked up and held her gaze with his own. "When this is all over, Serana, will you marry me?" he asked.

Serana gasped, and smiled happily. Unable to find the words, she pulled Aeros in for a long, heartfelt kiss. "I think that's the smartest thing I've ever heard you say," she answered once they had broken apart for breath. "Of course I'll marry you, you big oaf! Was there really any question that I would say no?"

Aeros shook his head. "Of course there wasn't," he said, grinning like a fool and barely able to contain his happiness. "But it still makes me relieved to hear you say it."

"Just one thing," Serana said suddenly with mock sternness. "If we're getting married, I want a real wedding. None of this going to a temple of Mara and saying a few vows in front of a priest crap that's common in Skyrim. I want one with a big cake, lots of guests, and plenty of sweet rolls."

Aeros laughed at her demands. "I think that's something that can be arranged," he said in agreement. "And afterwards we'll have a nice long, sex-filled honeymoon, with no adventuring or having to save the world."

Serana grinned seductively. "Absolutely. Although you just might regret that promise."

Satisfied with their plans for their future, they opened the doors to the cathedral and entered together. The doors closed behind them with an ominous thud, as their eyes adjusted to the darkness. The room was dark and smelled of death. There were piles of bones throughout the room, and at the far end bubbled a fountain of blood, an altar to Molag Bal. Waiting in front of the altar with black katana in hand, was Lord Harkon.

He smiled at them as they entered, a smile filled with nothing but hate and venom.

"Serana, my darling. I see you still favor keeping a pet."

Serana stiffened in anger, but didn't stop walking towards her father. "You know why we're here."

"Of course I do." He walked down from the altar and stalked towards them. "You disappoint me, Serana. You've taken everything I've provided and thrown it all away for this...pathetic being." He said the last part with utter disgust, and vile, bitter hatred.

"Provided for me?" Serana said in shock that soon gave way to anger. "Are you insane? You've destroyed our family. You've killed other vampires. All over some prophecy that we barely understand."

She stepped in front of Aeros, staring defiantly at her father. "No more. I'm done with you. And you will not touch him."

"So, I see this dragon has fangs." Aeros wasn't sure, but he could almost swear Harkon sounded amused. "Your voice drips with the venom of your mother's influence. How alike you've become."

Serana shook her head. "No, because unlike her, I'm not afraid of you. Not anymore."

Harkon stared at his daughter silently for a few seconds before turning his malevolent gaze towards Aeros. "And you," he sneered. "It appears I have you to thank for turning my daughter against me. I knew it was only a matter of time before she'd return with hatred in her heart."

"Hatred," Aeros spat, "born of your neglect."

"A small price to pay for the betterment of our kind," Harkon said callously.

Aeros's grip on his swords tightened until his knuckles were white. "Your kind is a blight on this world." Aeros snapped.

He regretted his words immediately as he saw Serana flinch.

Harkon just laughed. "Yes, yes, always the noble vampire hunter. And what happens when you've slain me? Is Valerica next?" A horrid grin crept across his face. "Is Serana?"

"I would NEVER harm Serana. She's too important to me."

"Aeros…"

A bored sigh escaped from Harkon. "Then my daughter is truly lost. She died the moment she accepted a mortal into her life."

Aeros had lost his patience. "Enough of this! This ends here, Harkon!"

"Yes, quite. I'm growing weary of speaking to you and my traitorous daughter." His gaze drifted to the bow on Aeros's back. "I'll give you a single chance to turn over the bow to me. There will not be a second."

"You'll have to take it off of my corpse, you black-hearted bastard."

Harkon sneered. "So be it."

Moving faster than Aeros would have thought possible, Harkon stepped towards him and swung his sword. Aeros frantically brought his own sword up in an attempt to ward off the blow, managing to just barely move fast enough to block the black blade, but the sheer force behind the blow pushed him back.

Harkon moved fast, the magical strength and speed of his vampire blood allowing him to rain blow after blow down on Aeros, who barely managed to block the succession of blows. Managing to pin Harkon's sword between his own blade and the stone wall, Aeros swung downwards at him with the sword in his right hand.

With a smirk, Harkon turned to mist and Aeros's swing passed harmlessly through him. Dismissing the spell, Harkon thrust forward towards Aeros's heart. Having no chance of maneuvering his own blade in time, or moving out of the way, Aeros instead chose to shield himself with his right arm as he attempted to twist out of the way. He was partially successful. The black blade easily punched through the plating of his vambrace, burying itself in the thick bone plating covering his shoulder, where it became wedged.

Gritting his teeth against the pain, Aeros swung the sword in his left hand at Harkon's side. However, before his blade could even draw close, Harkon flung him away, using his katana as a lever. As Aeros flew through the air, Harkon's katana slid free.

Crashing into a stone column, Aeros hit his head, and fell to the ground, dazed. He felt Auriel's Bow begin to slide off of his back, but didn't have time to worry about it just then. Blindly throwing himself to the side, he felt more than saw as a black katana impaled the spot on the ground where he had just been. Coughing, he tried to climb to his feet. Harkon smirked at such a display of weakness and made to finish off the fool.

But he had forgotten there was someone else in the room, and as he lifted his sword, Serana hit him with a lightning storm. Roaring in pain, Harkon threw a large piece of rubble at her, forcing her to stop casting as she dodged the heavy chunk of stone.

"FUS RO-!"

Aeros was unable to use the full Shout as he suddenly began to cough up more blood. It was still enough to force Harkon back a few steps, but it didn't take him long to recover, and he moved to impale the defenseless Aeros.

A dagger sunk into Harkon's side and with a roar he unleashed a blast of blood magic at Serana, slamming her back into the wall. He glared murderously at the two of them, his anger pulsing around him. His body began to deform, in a way Aeros had seen only once before. The aura of power emanating off of him doubled and then tripled. He was transforming into a vampire lord.

"Shit!"

Aeros scrambled to recover his fallen sword.

"You pathetic, worthless mortal."

Aeros froze and looked towards Harkon right as he was lifted into the air by Harkon's vampiric grip. He struggled vainly in an attempt to free himself from the spell, but to no avail. Harkon floated closer until they were face to horrifying face.

"Did you really think you could come into my home, turn my own daughter against me, and think you think you wouldn't face any consequences!?"

He threw Aeros against the far wall of the cathedral so hard that the stonework cracked under the impact. Aeros tried to climb to his feet, but was lifted into the air as Harkon grabbed him around the throat.

"You pathetic fool!" Harkon hissed. "I ought to kill you right now for such arrogance, but I think I will make you suffer for all the trouble you've caused me. I will kill you slowly and painfully, until you are begging for me to finish it. And my foolish daughter won't be able to do anything but watch as I kill the man she loves."

"AEROS!" Serana watched in horror as her father lifted Aeros into the air. Aeros kicked futilely, unable to break Harkon's inhuman grip. Sneering, Harkon threw Aeros up onto the second floor of the cathedral, where he crashed heavily against the stone floor.

Serana tried to climb to her feet, but collapsed with a gasp of pain. Hitting the wall so hard had broken something.

Harkon flapped his wings and floated up towards the second level.

"Did you really think you could kill me?" he called gloatingly. "Me, the lord of all the vampires in Skyrim? You are nothing more than a weak and pathetic-!"

A black, furred form exploded from the second level, slamming into Harkon and dragging him back down into the ground. As Harkon rose to his feet, he found himself facing a large and powerful looking werewolf. With a snarl, Aeros charged at Harkon, slamming into him and sending both of them crashing through the doors leading back out to the main hall.

As they landed, Aeros swiped a clawed hand at Harkon's face, but his arm was caught by Harkon's hand. Grasping Aeros's other arm, Harkon attempted to throw him, but Aeros retaliated with a vicious headbutt. His head smashed into Harkon's face, flattening his nose.

Harkon bellowed in pain and raised one of his hands to unleash the largest drain life spell that he could. The blast tore Aeros away from him and slammed him into a wall. As he tried to climb to his feet, Harkon extended his wings and rose into the air, unleashing a continuous wave of blood magic on the transformed Aeros.

Growling, Aeros shoved the pain down, ignoring the magic ripping into his body. He climbed to his feet and gathered his powerful legs under him. With a shove, he launched himself at Harkon.

Slamming into the vampire lord, the two of them tumbled onto the second floor balcony overlooking the main hall. Harkon wrapped his hands around Aeros's throat, determined to kill this arrogant mortal. Unable to break Harkon's grip, Aeros did the only thing he could, and sunk his teeth into Harkon's shoulder.

Screaming in pain, Harkon released his grip on Aeros's throat. As he felt the pressure disappear, Aeros grabbed Harkon and threw him with all his might. The vampire lord broke through the stone railing and crashed onto one of the few unbroken tables left in the hall, shattering it in two.

"Aeros? That you under that ugly hide?"

Aeros turned his head at the sound of Isran's voice.

"Isran...why...here?" he said in a gravelly, barely understandable growl. "What...about...battle?"

"The battle's over. My men and I were just going around looking for any vampires that might be hiding when you flew by going at it with that blood sucker. You really think someone wasn't going to notice two monsters trying to rip each other to pieces?"

Aeros wanted to scream in pain and frustration as he walked forward to look over the edge of the balcony. His body was torn and bloodied from the constant blast of blood magic. And it was all he could do to hold this form, let alone talk in it, which was something he hadn't really mastered yet. To make matters worse, down below, Harkon was getting back up again.

"Damn, that bastard's still getting back up!" Isran said incredulously. "Here, we'll help you, Aeros. Just let me gather a few of my men and-"

"No…" Aeros growled, shaking his head, worried that if Isran and his men tried to intervene, Harkon would rip them to shreds. "I'll..deal...with him."

"Find...Serana...she's hurt."

With a snarl, Aeros leaped over the railing and down towards Harkon. He landed on the vampire lord hard, biting and clawing. Everyone watched in horror as these two monsters went at each other, whatever minds that had existed in them before consumed by an overwhelming primal rage. Talons rended flesh from bones, claws shredded muscles, and fangs bit and tore. No one even dared approach them for fear of being torn limb from limb.

Managing to find some small shred of awareness, Aeros grabbed Harkon and drove him through the ruined remains of the castle doors, out into the midday sun. They had just barely made it out onto the bridge when Harkon realized Aeros's plan. Feeling his skin begin to burn and his blood boil in the sun, Harkon summoned as much magicka as he could, and cast one last drain life spell, his largest one yet. The blast sent Aeros flying back into the castle, skidding the length of the hall until he crashed against the far wall. He crumpled to the ground, his werewolf form dissipating.

Harkon floated towards him. All around them, everyone was paralyzed with shock and fear at the scene unfolding in front of them. The Dragonborn was losing. If he couldn't defeat this monster, how could any of them hope to?

"You have nothing left, nothing!" Harkon sneered victoriously. "No more tricks, no more surprises. You are FINISHED!"

Harkon watched in disbelief as Aeros slowly crawled to his feet. He was barely able to stand; deep gashes ran all over his body, his left arm hung uselessly at his side, and his ribs were so badly broken that several of them were sticking out of his side. His face was even worse, a gory mess under a mask of blood. Yet to Harkon's horror, Aeros was still getting up, refusing to give up even though his injuries would have killed any other man. He couldn't comprehend it. He had known from the moment Aeros and Serana had entered the cathedral that his daughter had almost drank the Nord dry. He should have been easy prey, but the damned dog refused to die!

"HOW?!" Harkon screamed in fury. "How are you still alive, let alone standing!? Just lie down and die, you damned mutt!"

Aeros threw a dagger that he had picked up somewhere, but it was a feeble attempt. Harkon disappeared in a swarm of bats and the dagger passed through harmlessly. The bats surged forward and Harkon appeared right in front of Aeros. His hand shot forward and wrapped around Aeros's throat. With superhuman strength, he lifted Aeros off of the ground, his fingers tightening around the Nord's throat. Aeros struggled weakly but was unable to break free, his strength gone and the pain nearly overwhelming him.

"This ends here!" Harkon hissed. He slowly turned to face those in the hall. They all stared in horror, unable to move.

"So ends your foolish assault!" Harkon sneered. "My court lies dead, but I am still alive! Now watch as I kill your precious-!"

A bright light exited Harkon's chest, right where his heart was. He looked down at the Sunhallowed Arrow sticking out of his chest. "What?" he gasped as all the strength left his body, like a puppet whose strings have been cut. Aeros dropped to the ground as Harkon's grip weakened. He gasped for air as he rubbed his neck.

Both he and Harkon turned towards the source of the shot and saw Serana leaning against the door to the cathedral, a grim look on her face. In her hands was Auriel's Bow.

"I told you," she said. "You won't touch him. Not ever again."

Horrified, Harkon clutched at the arrow, trying to pull it from his body. "No...Serana...your own father…"

Harkon's body began disintegrating, as if time was finally catching up to him. There was a blinding flash of red light and then nothing was left but a pile of red ash.

Serana dropped the bow and rushed over to Aeros, but his body finally gave out as all of his injuries from this fight and the ones since he had given Serana his blood caught up to him. He collapsed to the ground, and into darkness. The last thing he saw before everything went black was Serana, looking down at him with tears in her eyes.

* * *

Author's Notes: And so ends the tyranny of Lord Harkon. I know I took some more dialogue from the game, but like I've said before, sometimes it's just too good to get rid of, and personally I've always liked that scene in the DLC. Feel free to leave a review, and stay tuned for the final chapter of A New Dawn!

Characters:

Calder: Aeros's housecarl in Windhelm, Calder maintains Aeros's home in Windhelm, Hjerim.

Iona: Aeros's housecarl in Riften, Iona typically stays at Honeyside and takes care of it in her Thane's absence.

Argis: Aeros's housecarl in Markarth, Argis maintains Aeros's home in the City of Stone, Vlindrel Hall.

Dragon Language:

Yol Toor Shul = Fire Inferno Sun (Fire Breath Shout)

Su Grah Dun = Air Battle Grace (Elemental Fury Shout)

Fus Ro Dah = Force Balance Push (Unrelenting Force Shout)


	17. A New Dawn 8

A New Dawn 8

Aeros was floating in the void, surrounded by darkness.

_Am I dead?_ he wondered. He remembered the attack on Castle Volkihar, and the battle with Harkon, but after that, nothing. He was filled with regret at the memory of Serana. _I promised her I wouldn't leave her alone anymore. I can't even keep my promise._

He didn't know how long he drifted there, filled with thoughts of regret and self-loathing. Eventually, he was broken out of his thoughts by a distant sound. He listened intently, wondering if there was something here after all. As he listened though, he felt his blood go cold.

The sound of howls ripped through the void, growing louder as whatever it was grew nearer. Soon the sound of howls surrounded Aeros, echoing around and around, and growing louder, until finally, mercifully, darkness claimed him once more.

When Aeros opened his eyes again, he found himself staring at the most awe-inspiring sky he had seen in a long time. Swirls of bright green, purple and blue flowed overhead, circling a circle of light. The scene almost seemed familiar.

"Oh, no."

Aeros sat up in alarm. He had only seen a sky like this once before and that was in…

"No, no, no." Looking down at himself, his fears were confirmed. Every injury and wound he had received during the battle with Harkon was gone, as were the ones he had received during his and Serana's fight with Arch-Curate Vyrthur. Down below, he could see the fabled Hall of Valor, and the great whalebone bridge leading to it.

"Please, no. Not here, not yet. Damn it, I can't be dead!"

"I never thought I'd see the day where someone was unhappy with being allowed into Sovngarde," a woman's voice said from the side, laughing slightly. "Calm yourself, hero."

Turning his head, Aeros saw Gormlaith Golden-Hilt sitting nearby, looking no different from the day she died. She nodded in greeting.

"Hello, Aeros," she said warmly. "It is good to see you again."

Aeros sighed. "I wish I could say the same, Gormlaith, but I had hoped not to see this place again until I was much older."

Gormlaith motioned next to her. "Sit down, and tell me why you decided cursing your luck was the best way to spend your first moments in Sovngarde.

Accepting her invitation, Aeros sat down on the grass next to her. "I made a promise to Serana, and me being here breaks that promise," he explained.

"Who is this Serana?" Gormlaith asked curiously. "She must be very important to you if you'd rather be with her than here."

Aeros stared down at the Hall of Valor dejectedly. "She is...was someone very dear to me, although I didn't realize just how much so until only recently," he answered. "I loved her, and I was going to marry her once everything was over. Does that tell you how important she is to me?

"And what is this promise you made her?"

"I promised her I would never let her be alone again."

Gormlaith frowned. "Dragonborn...Aeros, that's a hard promise to keep. Everyone dies, it's a fact of life that no one can change. Sooner or later your luck will run out."

Aeros looked at her in confusion. "Wait, 'sooner or later?' But...aren't I already dead?"

Gormlaith grinned wickedly. "Now when did I ever say that?"

"But wait...huh?" was about all Aeros could manage to say.

Gormlaith just barely held her finger and thumb apart. "This close."

Gormlaith watched in amusement as Aeros leapt to his feet and proceeded to dance around, cheering. Finally he flopped back down on the grass, laughing in relief.

"But wait, if I'm not dead, why am I here?" he questioned, confused.

"'This close' might mean you aren't quite dead, but it also means you aren't quite alive. You were drifting between the realms of life and death. And that, unfortunately, is still enough for Hircine to come hunting for your soul."

Aeros shivered, remembering the howls he had heard. "So why am I here and not in Hircine's Hunting Grounds?"

Gormlaith smirked. "Some of us decided to bring you back here until you were ready to be sent back."

"Isn't that dangerous?" Aeros asked with a smile.

Gormlaith waved her hand dismissively. "We've gone to the his Hunting Grounds before, to rescue some warrior spirits trapped there and bring them here to their rightful place in Sovngarde. And don't worry about what will happen when you do die. Many warriors stand at the ready to bring you here when you die, to make sure the Hunter will never have you."

Aeros laughed. "That must be the first time I've ever been glad to hear someone is waiting for me to die. But since when have the warriors of Sovngarde led raids on Hircine's Hunting Grounds?"

"Since me," a deep voice said from behind them. Aeros turned and saw Kodlak White-Mane approaching them. He looked younger and more at ease than Aeros had ever seen him in life, and full of strength and vigor.

"It's good to see you again, Kodlak," he said in greeting as the former Harbinger sat down next to them. "And what do you mean 'since you?'"

"Once you defeated Alduin, myself and the other souls trapped in the mists were able to enter the Hall of Valor," Kodlak explained. "Once there, I began convincing the heroes of old that it was our duty to rescue the souls of former Harbingers and the other warriors that were trapped in Hircine's realm. "

"You crazy old man," Aeros laughed, shaking his head. "You did say you were going to go looking for some of the old Harbingers, but I never thought you meant it. I should have known better."

They sat on the hill for a while longer. Aeros watched some warriors down below, sparring to determine who was the strongest.

At last though, Gormlaith and Kodlak stood, and Aeros climbed to his feet as well. "It is time for you to return, Dragonborn," Gormlaith said. "I look forward to seeing you again."

"As do I, but hopefully that won't be for a long time. Goodbye, Gormlaith, Kodlak."

"Goodbye, Dragonborn."

"Farewell, Harbinger. Lead the Companions to greater glory."

With a smile, Gormlaith spoke, "NAHL DAAL VUS!"

A bright light engulfed Aeros and sent him back to the world of the living.

* * *

\- Nirn -

"Ow…"

Aeros didn't like this. Every fiber in his body hurt. He actually almost wished he had stayed in Sovngarde.

"Ow, ow, ow."

He opened his eyes, then immediately squeezed them shut as the bright light stung them. Opening them again, he tried to sit up. It took some effort, but he managed to do it. Looking down at himself he saw he was covered in bandages. He was happy to see his left arm was working again, and that he didn't have any ribs sticking out anymore.

Looking around at his surroundings, he saw that he was in his bedroom in Proudspire Manor. He could hear voices outside his bedroom door. He tried getting out of bed and on his feet but a wave of weakness convinced him otherwise.

"Maybe I should just lie here," he said to himself. "Yeah, lying here sounds like a good idea."

Just then the door opened and in walked Serana, carrying a change of fresh bandages. She stopped dead when she saw Aeros sitting up with a huge grin on his face.

"Hey, shouldn't you knock before-!"

Whatever he was going say was cut off as Serana dropped the bandages and ran to wrap her arms tight around him.

"You're alive!"

"Ow, ow, that hurts!"

"Careful girl, he's still recovering. He shouldn't even be awake yet." Aeros glanced at the door and saw Colette Marence standing there, an amused smile on her face.

Serana reluctantly let Aeros go. "You had me worried."

Aeros smiled, "Come on, it wasn't that bad."

"Arch-Mage, I've seen a lot of injuries before, especially with the recent civil war," Colette said seriously. "But I've never seen a man sustain injuries as bad as yours and still survive. I wasn't even sure you would make it past the first day. It _was _that bad."

"Well, it's a good thing you're so good at healing magic, Colette." He looked around again. "By the way, how did I get here? And what do you mean 'the first day?'"

"Aeros, you've been asleep for over a week. After the battle, you almost slipped away. Myself and a handful of healers managed to get you stabilized, and once it was clear you weren't going to kick the bucket just yet, we had you brought back here to recover. Now, I'll go get some more hot water and bandages and let you two talk."

Closing the door behind her, she left Aeros and Serana alone. Aeros turned to Serana with a questioning look.

"Was I really unconscious for a whole week?"

He stopped when Serana started to cry. "Hey, it's okay. No need for tears. I'm fine, see?"

"I thought I'd lost you Aeros. After you collapsed..." She started crying again.

Aeros just smiled and wiped away her tears. "Well you didn't. I made you a promise and I intend to keep it. Besides, what kind of a jerk do you think I'd be if I died the same day I asked you to marry me?"

Serana pulled Aeros towards her and kissed him. After a while she pulled back, smiling.

"That's about all we can do right now. I'd hate to break you before our wedding."

"I don't mind," Aeros said with a grin. "Breaking sounds fun, especially if it's what I'm thinking of."

"Should we leave you two alone some more?" Lydia asked with a grin as she walked in. Jordis just shook her head.

"I'm not fixing him up again if you do," Colette said with a frown as she reentered the room behind the two housecarls. "Now lie back so I can check under these bandages."

As Colette unwrapped the bandages and checked the state of his injuries, Lydia and Jordis caught Aeros up on what had happened after while he had been unconscious.

"You were right in leaving some men at Fort Dawnguard. Not long after we left, a small force of vampires attacked. Luckily, they were able to kill all the vampires without any serious injuries."

"What about everyone who attacked the castle?"

"There were a few more serious injuries, but generally, aside from a few broken bones or cuts, no one was hurt too much, although Gunmar did take a dagger to the side while trying to protect Sorine. It wasn't serious, but Sorine definitely gave him a tongue lashing for risking his life for her. All in all, you definitely took the worst of it."

"Good," Aeros sighed in relief. "Did any vampires escape?"

"Not as far as we can tell. Isran and the Dawnguard did a pretty good job of clearing the place out."

"And Auriel's Bow?"

Serana explained that one. "It's right there," she said, nodding towards a corner of the room, The bow was propped up against the wall, gleaming softly in the light. "No one was certain what to do with it after you lost consciousness, so it was decided that it was best to keep it with you until you awoke."

Aeros sighed. "Tell Isran that the Dawnguard can have it. I have enough 'all-powerful' ancient artifacts as it is. Besides, now that your father is gone, along with the majority of Skyrim's vampire population, the vampire threat should die down as most of them return to living in the shadows. The Dawnguard will need something to give them a new purpose. They can guard the bow, and ensure that it doesn't fall into the wrong hands."

Colette finished rewrapping Aeros's wounds and stood up. "Well, your ribs are all healed up. The soreness will leave after a couple days, along with the rest of the bruises. After that, you can go back to throwing yourself into the mouths of dragons. Until then, nothing too strenuous." She fixed Aeros with a stern glare.

"Don't worry," Serana assured her. "I'll make sure he doesn't get out of bed."

Colette gave Serana a knowing smile before she left.

Jordis and Lydia followed her out, both giving Serana sly grins, which she returned.

As the door closed, Aeros chuckled. "Why do I have the feeling I'm not going to be getting a lot of rest in the next couple days?"

Serana slipped into the covers with Aeros. "It must be your imagination," she said, grinning wickedly. She pulled Aeros down with her for another kiss.

True to her word, Serana made sure Aeros didn't leave his bed for the next several days, providing some very compelling reasons for him to stay.

And oddly enough, Aeros didn't mind. Not one bit.

* * *

Author's Notes: This marks the end of the New Dawn arc, and of the Dawnguard questline! Stayed tuned for the next arc, Blood and Pestilence!

Characters:

Gormlaith Golden-Hilt: An ancient Nord hero who helped overthrow the dragons. She is famed for killing four dragons single-handedly in one day. She assists you in your final battle with Alduin, along with the other ancient Tongues.

Colette Marence: The College of Winterhold's resident expert on restoration magic, and a skilled healer. Despite her position as a professor at the College, Colette remains convinced that the other faculty and students lack respect for the School of Restoration and are out to get her.

Dragon Language:

Nahl Daal Vus = Living Return Nirn


	18. Blood and Pestilence 1

Blood and Pestilence 1

\- Solitude -

Sparks flew as the hammer struck the glowing, red-hot piece of metal, slowly shaping it into a blade.

Aeros paused to wipe the sweat off of his face before resuming his work. The sound of metal striking metal rang out. He might not have his own forge, but he had an agreement with Beirand that he could use the forge to make whatever he wanted as long as he provided his own materials.

Today wasn't a day for making necklaces or decorations though. He had just gotten out of a staff meeting with the other Legion officers and saw that Beirand was running behind on orders. Having nothing better to do, Aeros offered to help. Beirand had quickly agreed, and so now they were working on finishing up the Legion's latest order of swords.

It had been a long time since he had last worked a forge, and he had to admit, the feeling of swinging the heavy hammer down onto the anvil and shaping the metal ingot into the desired shape was refreshing.

He plunged the new sword into the slack-tub, the heat of the blade sending up a plume of steam as it cooled. He set it on the rack next to the others.

"What's next?" he asked Beirand, who had been working the whetstone.

The Nord stood with a groan, stretching the muscles in his back.

"That's it for today, lad," he said once he had straightened. "Thanks to you, Heimvar and I are almost caught up again. I can finish up the rest for tonight."

"You sure?" Aeros asked dubiously. "I can stay and help you-"

"Go home, lad," Beirand said with a laugh. "I'm sure your beautiful fiancée is wondering where you've run off to by now."

Aeros tried to protest but Beirand stopped him. "Go," he said firmly. "You've already helped me enough today. Go and enjoy the night."

Realizing he wasn't going to change the blacksmith's mind, Aeros took off his blacksmith apron and said farewell to Beirand.

He was a little disappointed as he walked home that Beirand had sent him home so early. At least, until he remembered how he and Serana might "enjoy the night."

* * *

\- Later that night -

Aeros pulled a chair outside to enjoy the night air. One of his favorite things about his home in Solitude was the breathtaking view it had. It never ceased to amaze him. He poured himself a glass of spiced wine from the bottle next to him, a gift from Evette for helping to convince the East Empire Trading Company to release her shipment. He gazed up at the night sky as he relaxed.

"Enjoying yourself? And without me?"

Aeros smiled as Serana pulled up another chair next to him and sat down, leaning against him with a sigh of contentment.

"I talked with Elisif today." he said after a while. "Want to take a guess why?

"With the Jarl?" Serana said in surprise. "What about?"

"She wants us to have our wedding at the palace."

"And I'm sure it's out of the kindness of her heart and not for any political reasons."

Aeros laughed, taking a sip of wine. "Oh, there are definitely political reasons. After all, giving the Dragonborn and his bride the wedding of their dreams, that will definitely make her look good and improve her reputation with the people of Skyrim. But she's also a good friend and has a kind heart. I think she just wants to thank us for everything we've done and make sure we have something we'll remember for the rest of our lives."

"Right," Serana said, unconvinced.

Aeros smiled as he added, "I also told her about how my fiancée wanted a huge cake and lots of sweet rolls. She said it wouldn't be a problem."

Serana grinned at that, before Aeros added, "You are going to have to meet her in a few days though."

"What? Why?"

"You really want me to deal with all the planning?" He laughed as Serana shuddered. "That's what I figured. Besides, you're marrying the Dragonborn. That means lots of important and influential people are going to want to meet you to try to get in my inner circle...or whatever the political name for it is."

"Great…" Serana muttered, but she brightened up immediately. "Oh well, if that's what I have to put up with, I can manage."

Aeros smirked. "Just try not to eat any of them. That tends not to go over well."

He ducked a swat from Serana with a laugh. Once she had extracted her revenge for that comment, they settled back down again, holding each other as they watched the stars together.

* * *

\- A Dark Cave -

"Praise be to Lord Peryite! Though we are unworthy, he has seen fit to bestow upon our bodies his blessing, and to enlighten our minds!"

The priest waved his arms about violently as he led the ceremony. He strutted about like a peacock as he raved.

Below him, a multitude of voices raised in prayer.

"Praise be to Lord Peryite!" came the thundering echo.

"We will spread his wonders throughout Skyrim, and then Tamriel! And in return he will grant us a place at his side, and immeasurable power!" The priest paused for effect. "But first, we have some new initiates to our flock." He ushered a man and two women onto the platform. "They have heard the call of our master and wish to receive his gifts!"

He turned to face the newcomers. The man, a Redguard and one of the women, who looked as if she could be a Bosmer, looked excited, caught up in the religious fervor of it all. The other woman though, a young Breton barely more than a girl, looked frightened, and her eyes darted about frantically, trying to find a way out.

"My children!" the priest cried out, raising his arms into the air. "Are you prepared to join our flock and spread the blessings of Peryite?"

The Redguard and Bosmer nodded excitedly. The young Breton though, cowered away from the priest. Ignoring her, he continued.

"Then come forward, and accept his power into yourselves!"

The air was filled with shouts and cheers as the cult welcomed its new initiates.

Up above, two figures looked on in disgust.

"Must they be so vile?" one of them asked, sniffing in disdain. Her voice seemed almost musical, but her eyes were as cold as ice.

"Vile they may be," her companion agreed with a sneer, his voice filled with contempt. "But they are easily manipulated, and serve as the perfect pawns for bringing our plan to fruition."

"And this plan better work," the woman said threateningly, "or you will pay for making me deal with such filth."

"It will work," her companion said reassuringly. "Based off of everything we know about him, once things are set in motion, he won't be able to stop himself."

* * *

\- Solitude -

Serana and Jordis watched in amusement as Aeros ran by, a swarm of children chasing him. It was another warm day in Solitude, and they had decided to go shopping for groceries.

Well, Aeros had gone shopping for groceries. For the time being, Serana was banned from the kitchen, after her disastrous attempt at cooking a meal last night. It had been so long since she had eaten normal food that she had forgotten what most of it tasted like. As a result, her idea was a tad...wrong, to put it politely. She still thought Aeros had overreacted. Although maybe adding Falmer ears had been a bit much.

They hadn't been shopping long when a group of children had run up and asked Aeros if he would play tag with them. Serana had been shocked by how quickly Aeros had agreed.

Serana and Jordis had finished their shopping and now just watched Aeros, a grown man, play with the children. He wasn't wearing his customary dragonplate armor, instead wearing the simple clothes he wore when he was in Solitude.

As they watched, he scooped one child up and set her on his shoulders, marching about. Soon the children forgot all about their game and were begging "Mr. Dragonborn" for a ride. Aeros laughed and promised he would give all of them a ride.

"He really likes children, doesn't he?" Serana said to Jordis as the two of them laughed at Aeros's antics.

Jordis couldn't help but agree. "They help remind him why he tries so hard to protect Skyrim. And I think he also enjoys being able to relax and forget about all his troubles."

Serana snickered. "Although, sometimes I think he's barely more than a child himself."

"Like when you refused to let him practice his new spells in the house. I swear he sulked for three days!"

The two of them laughed at the memory of a sullen Aeros. Jordis soon stopped though, her attention drawn towards the gates. Serana frowned and followed her gaze.

"What is it?" she asked.

Jordis pointed out a lone figure stumbling through the gates, hood drawn up over their face. "That man...something doesn't seem right about him." As she spoke, the man collapsed in the middle of the road.

A few concerned citizens rushed to help the man, but he grabbed one of them by the arm and used the man to pull himself up, throwing back his hood as he did.

Immediately, people began backing away from him in fear. A woman even screamed in horror. As he turned their direction, Serana and Jordis saw why.

The man was a Redguard but his skin was a pale ashen color, covered in sweat. His eyes were feverish as they darted around. But the worst part were his arms. His arms were covered in sickly lesions, and there was some sort of green ooze on his hands.

The man whose arm he was holding finally managed to wrench free and backed away frantically.

Aeros had by then noticed the new arrival and set the child on his shoulders down. He joined Serana and Jordis.

"Who's that?" he asked, but before either of them could answer, the man spoke.

"People of Skyrim!" he shouted in a rasping voice. "The time has come for the natural order to be restored. Lord Peryite…" he cut off as he coughed violently, spasms wracking his body. "Lord Peryite has blessed us with his power, and soon we shall spread his message throughout Tamriel!" Coughs wracked his body again, and he clutched a hand to his mouth.

"Join us in this and you shall be-!" Something finally gave out, and as the man coughed again, he vomited a putrid green substance that glowed unnaturally.

The crowd scattered away from the glowing bile and the infected man. He collapsed to his knees, still rambling.

Jordis started forward, but Aeros stopped her. "Stay back," he warned. "Whatever's wrong with that man is probably contagious. I'll deal with this."

"What about you?" Jordis asked. "Won't you be infected?"

He gave her a crooked grin. "Beast blood has its advantages."

He turned and approached the sick man, Serana right behind him.

They approached the man, who looked at them with feverish eyes. His expression brightened when he saw Aeros.

"Dragonborn! Have you decided to join our flock? Lord Peryite will be-!"

Aeros cut him off as he gripped him by the hair. He lifted the man up until they were almost face to face.

"Who are you, and what's going on here?"

The man paled, but then began laughing maniacally. "My name is not important, I am merely a messenger. Lord Peryite has decided to spread his blessing across Skyrim, granting it to all. By now my brothers and sisters have delivered the same message to all the holds of Skyrim! The world shall be returned to its natural…" A shudder coursed through the man. "To its natural order!"

Another shudder spread through his body, and before Aeros could react, the man whipped out a dagger and plunged it into his own gut, falling to the ground.

"Shit!" Aeros swore as he tried casting a restoration spell to close up the wound. But it was too late. The light had already faded from the man's eyes, and his body began to grow cold, although the wound continued to bleed, giving off a foul, noxious smell.

"What was that all about?" Serana asked in confusion. "He came in here just to ramble about some 'blessing' and then commits suicide? He must have been off his rocker."

"No," Aeros said, shaking his head. "He said 'Lord Peryite.' Do you recognize the name?"

"Vaguely. I think it's belongs to one of the Daedric Princes." Her eyes widened in realization.

Aeros confirmed her suspicions. "Peryite, the Lord of Pestilence. He's responsible for a lot of the world's plagues and diseases."

"But wait. If Peryite is the Daedric Prince of disease and pestilence...this man mentioned his 'brothers and sisters.' He said they were spreading the same message throughout Skyrim…"

Both of their eyes widened in horror as they realized what that must mean. They turned and ran back to where Jordis was waiting.

"Jordis!" Aeros said as they hurried back to Proudspire Manor. "Send a message to General Tullius and Jarl Elisif, and tell them what just happened. Tell them to quarantine anyone who had contact with that man, and to burn the body."

As soon as they were inside, Aeros began changing into his armor.

"Yes, my Thane," Jordis said. "But what's going on? Why do we have to quarantine people and-"

"That man was a worshipper of Peryite, the Lord of Pestilence. He said that his fellow worshippers are already spreading the same message throughout Skyrim. That means we're facing a potential epidemic if we can't contain this."

He tossed his blood-stained clothes into the fireplace and incinerated them with a blast of flame. He moved over to a weapon rack and began buckling on his swords.

"After that, send a message to the other holds warning them about the threat. Make sure they're aware of how to deal with this."

"And what about you? What are you going to be doing during all this?"

"I'm going to go find the source of this outbreak. This plague is Daedric in origin, which means if I can find the chief priest or whoever's behind this and kill them, Peryite's conduit to this realm should vanish, and so should the disease."

He opened a cabinet and removed several potions. He handed them to Jordis.

"These are cure disease potions. They should protect you from the disease, for a while at least. By then, I should have found the person responsible.

"_We_ should have found them," Serana corrected. "I'm going with you."

"Serana, it's-"

"Being a vampire has its advantages too, you know. I'm just as safe against this as you are. And you're crazy if you think I'm going to let you just run off without me."

Aeros raised his hands in surrender, smiling ruefully.

"Alright then, _we'll _track down the source of this. For now, Jordis, I want you to do what you can to help keep this under control. The last thing we need is for the entire city to wind up infected."

"Yes, my Thane."

"And remember, be careful. We don't know everything this disease can do. No doubt it still has a few surprises for us."

Aeros and Serana left the manor, heading to the stables.

"So how do you plan on finding the source?" Serana asked as they walked briskly towards their horses.

"For right now, we should see if we can retrace that Redguard's steps." Aeros explained. "See if we can find someone who saw where he came from. After that…" he shrugged. "Maybe we'll be lucky and find another nutcase who can tell us where they're based. We'll just have to see what happens."

They mounted their horses and rode hard out of Solitude, hoping to find the source before things went too far.

* * *

\- A Dark Cave -

Two shadowy figures stood on a ledge, watching the scene below them. A soldier approached them and saluted. "Sir, Ma'am, our spies have just reported that the Dragonborn has left Solitude."

"You're sure it was him?" one of the figures asked sharply.

The soldier paled in fear. "Ye...yes ma'am," he stuttered nervously. "We had confirmation from several reliable sources." The woman waved her hand in dismissal and he bolted away.

She turned to the figure besides her. "Do you believe he'll come here?" she asked.

"Absolutely," the figure beside her said. "He won't be able to stop himself."

They both grinned in the darkness and spoke in unison. "Perfect."

* * *

Author's Notes: Well, as promised, here's the third arc, Blood and Pestilence! This is an idea I got from Peryite's quest, The Only Cure. Throughout the quest you hear people talking about how they meant to spread Peryite's gift across Skyrim, and yet you never meet them outside of the dwarven ruins Bthardamz, with the exception of a couple randoms seeking revenge.

So this is my take on that quest, on what would happen if the Afflicted _had _left their ruins and attempted to spread a plague throughout Skyrim, and how Aeros and Serana would react to such a threat. Enjoy!

And as always, leave a review or point out any mistakes you see.

Characters:

The Afflicted: Humanoid races who have been "gifted" by Peryite. Peryite blessed them so that they could "cleanse all of Tamriel" by spreading this affliction.

Dragon Language: None used.


	19. Blood and Pestilence 2

Blood and Pestilence 2

"Anything?" Aeros asked as Serana came back from talking with the villagers. She shook her head.

"No, nothing," she said. "They heard some guards passing through talking about some incident in Whiterun, but that's it."

"So we're back where we started," Aeros groaned in frustration.

"Looks like it," she said in agreement.

They had backtracked the Redguard's trail through Haafingar, stopping and asking locals if they had seen the man before whenever they could. The trail itself had twisted and turned, eventually leading them to the hold of Whiterun. After that, they had lost it.

That was why they had stopped in Rorikstead. Serana had gone to ask the villagers if they had seen or heard anything while Aeros had waited with the horses. But it looked like they had hit a dead end.

"Now what?" Serana asked as they rode out of the village.

"I don't know," Aeros said, shaking his head. "I was hoping we would be able to find where that Redguard came from, or at least a clue, but we haven't found a single thing. Maybe we should go to Whiterun and see if they managed to keep one of these fools alive…"

Just then, they heard the rhythmic thud of horse hooves on the trail behind them. They spun their horses around and gripped their weapons as they waited for the riders to come around the bend. As they did, Aeros grinned and relaxed his grip almost immediately.

"Hello, Shield-Siblings," Aeros said calmly, raising a hand in greeting. "What are you doing out here away from Jorrvaskr? Don't tell me someone actually gave you a job that required all three of you?"

Aela, Vilkas, and Farkas slowed their horses when they recognized their friends and pulled up next to them.

"We were actually looking for you, Harbinger," Vilkas said when they had stopped. Their horses were covered in sweat, their sides heaving. "We had a feeling you'd be out here somewhere. I'm guessing you already know what's going on?"

"You mean the Daedric Prince trying to spread a plague throughout Skyrim and 'return things to their natural order?'" Aeros asked. Despite the lightness of his words, his tone was serious. "Yeah, we got the message. What happened in Whiterun?"

"Some robed figure showed up and started ranting about 'Lord Peryite.'" Farkas answered. He snorted. "Idiot could have given Heimskr a run for his money."

"We didn't realize what was wrong with him at first," Vilkas continued. "By the time we did, he had infected at least a dozen people. We got your message shortly after."

"Any ideas on how to stop this?" Farkas asked. "The healers and alchemists are trying everything they can to find a cure, but so far they haven't had any luck.

The three men moved off a ways, Aeros explaining what he and Serana had found out so far, leaving Aela and Serana alone.

Serana regarded the other woman calmly. Besides the Dawnguard, Aela was one of the very few people who knew who and what she really was. She had also made it extremely clear that she had not been happy that Aeros had almost died as a result of Serana feeding off of him. She was still surprised that punch to her jaw hadn't knocked a tooth out or broken her jaw. But since Aela wasn't beating the living hell out of her like she'd promised after seeing how hurt Aeros was from his battle with Serana's father, as a result of how much of his blood she had drank, maybe she had let it go.

"You're looking well fed. Not too thirsty?"

Or maybe she was the kind of woman who held a grudge for a very, very long time. Not that Serana blamed her. She knew about Aela's and Aeros's past with each other, something that still gave her a pang of jealousy, and knew that if their roles were reversed she would probably feel the same way. So she decided to play nice. At least for Aeros's sake.

"Oh no. Aeros is so tasty, sometimes I just can't help myself. In fact, I think I might be gaining weight." Okay, so playing nice only went so far.

"I could help with that. There's this new diet I've heard of, involving a broken jaw."

Serana smiled, making sure Aela could see her fangs. "Oh, I'd like to see you try. Of course, I'd be more than willing to wait until you put on that fur coat of yours. I'd hate to beat you too easily."

"And I'd be sure to wait until dark. Hate for you to get a sunburn with that pale skin of yours."

The two of them glared at each other for a few more seconds, before turning in opposite directions at almost the same time, with a simultaneous "Hmph!" For a while, neither of them said anything. Eventually, Aela looked back at Serana.

"So how has Aeros been? He looks a lot better than before. He hasn't been in any big fights or misadventures lately?"

"He's pretty much back to normal. Jordis and I have been making sure he hasn't gone out and gotten himself hurt again. Although I think he was going crazy from not being able to do anything for the past couple weeks."

"So I'm guessing that also means that by now you've figured out the most annoying part of traveling with Aeros?"

"You mean having to deal with his unwavering need to help people, even if it means putting his own life in constant danger?"

Aela nodded, before adding with a snicker, "That, and having to help carry all the crap he likes to collect."

Serana laughed along with Aela, catching the attention of Aeros. He glanced over from where he was talking with Vilkas and Farkas.

"Should I be worried?" he asked Vilkas. Vilkas turned and looked at where the two women were laughing and whispering together conspiratorially.

"When two women you've been involved with suddenly become friends? And with them being two of the strongest women in Skyrim? Yes, Harbinger, you should be _very _worried."

* * *

\- Later -

"We've almost caught up to them," Aela growled, as she sniffed the trail. "They passed through here not even a few hours ago."

Serana still had trouble recognizing Aela in this form. Once Aeros had explained to the Circle what they were looking for, Aela had transformed into a werewolf and led the way for them, following the scent she had picked up.

"You're sure this is part of the same group?" Aeros asked, standing next to her. They had tied their horses to some trees and proceeded on foot.

"Trust me," she said, "if you knew what these people smelled like, you'd recognize it in a heartbeat. Come on."

"Why didn't you try this before, Aeros?" Serana asked curiously as they made their way through the trees. "It would have been a lot faster than stopping in towns and asking people."

"Well…" Aeros looked away sheepishly.

Vilkas snickered while Farkas let out a huge guffaw. Even Aela laughed in amusement, though it sounded more like a mix between a rumbling growl and a bark than an actual laugh.

"Aeros has never been the most...competent tracker when we would go out for hunts," Vilkas explained.

"In other words, he sucks," Farkas said, grinning.

They all turned and grinned at him. "Yeah, yeah," he muttered. "Can we just get back to trying to stop a plague?" Everyone laughed.

They followed Aela through the trees, every now and then passing streaks of glowing green. After two or three hours of this, as the sun was setting, they saw the glow of a campfire up ahead, and could hear the sound of voices. They crept forward towards the edge of the clearing and listened.

"By tomorrow we will have reached Markarth," a voice said in a musical voice, an elf most likely. Aeros could make out seven or eight silhouettes around the campfire. "With the help of our friendly mage here, we should be able to pass through the guards undetected. Once inside, we can begin spreading Peryite's gift."

"Be warned," another voice said, this one thin and reedy. "The illusion spell will only last for an hour at most. After that, you will revert back to your true appearances."

"Ha!" Another of the figures laughed. "By then, we will have infected half the city and be on our merry way!"

Aeros and the other had heard enough. "We need to stop them," Serana whispered. Farkas nodded. "She's right. The bastard in Whiterun was bad enough, we don't need an entire city full of these people."

One of the figures got up and wandered off to the opposite side of the clearing. Aeros leaned over and whispered something in Aela's ear. She grinned, her teeth gleaming in the fading light. She loped off around the edge of the clearing.

"Where's she going?" Vilkas asked.

But Aeros just grinned and said "You'll see."

A few seconds later, they heard a howl erupt on the other side of the clearing, followed by a scream. A furred form rushed into the camp.

Aeros whooped. "Come on, let's go!"

The four of them charged into the camp, attacking the still confused Afflicted. Aeros slashed one across the neck, a large orc, who keeled over clutching at his throat, while Serana stabbed one Nord in the back of the head with her dagger, impaling another with an ice spike as the woman tried to grab her weapon. Vilkas swept two of the afflicted off of the feet with a swipe of his greatsword while his brother slashed one from shoulder to hip. Meanwhile, Aela had pinned a dunmer to the ground, disemboweling him with a rake of her claws.

The fight lasted for no more than a few seconds, and when everything calmed down, seven of the afflicted lay dead, while Vilkas had his sword pressed against the throat of the last one, a thin looking Altmer wearing some familiar looking robes.

After they had made sure there weren't any more enemies hiding somewhere, they all gathered around their prisoner. Aela was still in her werewolf form with gore covering her. The rest of them didn't look much better, with blood splattered here and there on their armor and weapons.

Aeros squatted down in front of the terrified elf. "So what's a Thalmor doing out here with a bunch of worshippers of Peryite?" he asked, his voice deathly calm. "Don't tell me it was just for a few campfire stories?"

The Thalmor sneered. "Foolish Nord! Do you really think I'd tell you anything, a member of an inferior race? I'd rather be eaten by a troll!"

Aeros had to admit, he was impressed by the elf's bravery, or stupidity, whichever it was. To still hold onto ideas of racial supremacy in a situation like this… He shook his head in disbelief.

"Want me to see if I can make him squeal, Aeros?" Aela asked. "It's been a while since I've had elf." Aeros shook his head, but noticed the Thalmor blanch when Aela said his name.

"What…" the Thalmor whispered, wetting his lips. "What did she call you?"

An idea came to Aeros. Hopefully it would get them what they needed.

He grinned down wolfishly at the Thalmor. "She said 'Aeros.' Surely you've heard of me? Harbinger, Arch-Mage, Legate," he leaned closer, "Dragonborn."

The elf paled even more, all the blood draining from his face. He made an effort to laugh it off, but it sounded weak and hollow. "You're...you're the hero of Skyrim. You wouldn't hurt a defenseless prisoner."

Aeros chuckled darkly. "Wouldn't I? You see, I've had some bad experiences with the Thalmor, and I don't like you guys very much. Besides," he gestured to his companions, "you've seen the company I keep. If I travel with monsters, how much of a monster do you think that makes me?" Aela snarled and Serana smiled so that the terrified elf could see her fangs.

It was more than the poor fool could take and he started babbling. "Please! Please, don't kill me! I'll tell you anything you want to know!"

"Why were you traveling with these people?" Aeros asked.

"I was ordered to help make sure they got into Markarth and infect as many people as we could."

"Why?"

"To weaken Skyrim. That's all I was told, I swear! They don't tell us lower ranks much."

"Where are you based?"

"Some old ruins called Bthardamz! They're not that far east of here!"

The five of them were quiet as they digested all of this.

The Thalmor glanced at them all nervously, but asked with a bit of hope, "I've answered all of your questions, so will you let me go free?"

Farkas snorted. "Ha! So you can go running back to your superiors and tell them everything that just happened? I don't think so. I say we just kill him, Harbinger."

Aeros held up a hand. "No, Farkas. I'm not going to kill someone in cold blood, even if they are a Thalmor." He turned back to the Altmer. "One last question, and then we will let you go. Who's behind this? Who are your superiors?"

The Thalmor hesitated, but seemed to make up his mind. He opened his mouth to speak, only to suddenly start choking instead. He thrashed wildly, foaming at the mouth.

Before Aeros or any of the others could even react, the elf was dead.

"Damnit!" Aeros swore angrily, slamming his fist against a tree.

"What the hell was that?" asked Vilkas. "It almost looked like poison, but he didn't drink anything or put anything in his mouth."

"Dark magic," Aeros spat out in disgust. "It's an old type of magic, not many people know about it anymore. It used to allow things like controlling enemies or placing curses on people. It looks like he was cursed in the event he was captured and ever tried to reveal his superiors' names."

"Clever bastards," Farkas growled.

Aeros nodded. "Still, what's done is done. Let's get moving again. Aela, can you take us to this Bthardamz?"

Aela sniffed the air before nodding her great head. "Yes," she growled. "If that Thalmor wasn't lying to us, then it looks like that's where this scent leads to. But I don't know how much longer I can hold this form."

"That's fine. We'll go as far as we can, and hopefully by then we'll have picked up a more obvious trail."

They made their way back to the horses, and set off after Aela. She loped ahead of them for a while, but it wasn't long before she reverted back to her normal form. After that, she rode next to Serana. As they rode, Serana and Aela talked like old friends, laughing at each other's jokes and sharing stories, something Aeros was glad to see. After everything she had been through, Serana deserved a chance at a normal life.

Vilkas dropped back next to him. "I'm glad to see you're looking better, Harbinger," he said. "When we last saw you, you looked more dead than alive."

Aeros grimaced at the memory. "Yeah well, I had an excellent caretaker," he said, looking at Serana.

Vilkas also looked at Serana. "She's still a vampire?" he asked in an undertone.

Aeros sighed. "Yes, she is."

"How is she feeding then? She might not act like your average vampire, but she still needs blood doesn't she? Knowing you, you let her drink your blood, don't you?"

"Yeah, we decided that wasn't such a good idea." Aeros immediately wished he had kept his mouth shut.

Vilkas blinked, putting two and two together. "Back at Fort Dawnguard...you looked tired and weaker than normal. And at Castle Volkihar after you fell unconscious, Aela was shouting at Serana, something about it being her fault. That was because she fed off of you wasn't it?"

Sometimes Aeros forgot Vilkas had the smarts of Ysgramor. "Yes, it was. But it was my choice."

Vilkas nodded, deciding that what's done was done. "So what do you do now? Feed her bandits and evildoers?"

Aeros tried not to laugh at the idea. "No, as amusing a thought as that is. Back in Volkihar Castle, we found some potion recipes that Serana says she can drink instead of blood."

"What are they?"

"Blood potions."

"Which I'm guessing still require at least some blood to work. So she's still feeding off of you."

Aeros shrugged. "In a way. But I use more of my blood for alchemy and spells than I do making these potions for her. At least this way I don't have to worry about her starving to death and you don't have to worry about her drinking me dry."

"Again?"

Aeros laughed wryly. "Again."

Vilkas was quiet after that, until he asked suddenly, "And despite all of that, you trust her?"

"I've travelled back and forth across Skyrim with her, Vilkas. I've explored caves with her, fought dragons together; I've even let her trap part of my soul so we could find an Elder Scroll! Of course I trust her. I wouldn't be marrying her if I didn't."

Vilkas nodded. "Then I'll trust your good judgement on this."

Aeros laughed good-naturedly. "Vilkas, if I had good judgement, I would have stayed in Cyrodiil and as far away from Skyrim as possible when I heard there was a civil war going on here."

Vilkas joined in with a laugh of his own.

Their attention was drawn up ahead as Serana and Aela waved them forward. They joined Farkas and the women at the top of a hill.

"What is it?" Aeros asked.

"We've found Bthardamz," Aela said pointing down the other side of the hill. Looking down, they saw a large set of ruins. Dwemer ruins.

"I hate these ruins," Aeros groaned.

Serana gave him an amused look. "You go into these kind of places all the time."

"Yes, and every time I do, I hate it."

By now everyone was looking at him, trying not to laugh. Deciding he didn't want to deal with the mocking and teasing he knew was about to assault him, especially from the women, Aeros stood.

"Well, come on. Let's go and see what they have in store for us." He began making his way down to the ruins.

Vilkas and Farkas both shrugged and started after their Harbinger. After a quick glance and a snicker at each other, Aela and Serana followed the others.

* * *

Author's Notes: Aeros and his friends have found Bthardamz! But what waits for them inside? And what do the Thalmor have to do with these followers of Peryite?

On a side note, I actually got the idea of dark magic from ESO. I thought it would be a useful magic to use for espionage or to prevent captured troops from giving away sensitive information.

I hope you enjoyed the second chapter of Blood and Pestilence. Don't forget to follow the story or leave a review, and point out any mistakes I might have missed.

P.S. A warning to whoever it may concern: As this arc does have to do with the Afflicted, that means the chapters will feature fights with Afflicted using their full range of abilities. This includes their nauseating habit of vomiting on you. I will try to limit this and not go into too explicit details, but if this bothers you, I recommend either skipping over those parts or not reading this arc.

Dragon Language: None used.


	20. Blood and Pestilence 3

Blood and Pestilence 3

As Aeros, Serana and the others got closer to the ruins, they could see people roaming about the exterior.

They got within a dozen yards or so from the entrance when the stench hit them.

"Oh gods!" Serana exclaimed, covering her nose. "What is that smell?"

It was even worse for Aeros and the other members of the Circle. Their werewolf blood enhanced their sense of smell among other things, and the stench hit them like a solid wall.

Aela gagged, while Farkas and Vilkas physically recoiled. Aeros reeled as the smell assaulted his nose. It smelled like every sick room he had ever been in, but a thousand times worse, every smell of sickness and death he had ever encountered all rolled into one.

"Gods…" he swore, trying to breathe through his mouth, "what kind of hellhole is this place?"

"And I thought trolls smelled bad," Farkas muttered. "Please tell me we don't have to stay here long."

"I hope not," Aeros answered. "Let's just get in there and try to find the source as fast as we can."

They entered the courtyard, looking around for a way into the ruins.

"There should be an entrance at the top," Aela said, pointing towards the top of the stone steps. Everyone nodded in agreement and began climbing the steps. They all stopped though, when they heard what sounded like a battlecry.

Looking up at the top of the steps, they saw what almost looked like a wave of Afflicted pouring out of the doors and rolling down towards them.

The five of them bunched together as tight as they could and braced themselves. The swarm of foes swept over them, and they were soon busy fending off the crazed Daedric worshippers.

"We're not getting anywhere!" Vilkas yelled, sweeping his greatsword in front of him and cutting down a group of Afflicted. "We'll get overrun at this rate if we don't do anything."

Aeros stabbed another enemy, his sword setting the man on fire. Pulling the blade out, he spun and cut down two more men. Looking up, he could see the Afflicted had stopped coming out of the ruins.

"I've got an idea!" he yelled back, parrying an orc's axe. "Just be ready to run!"

He turned and faced the rows of enemies blocking the path to the doors.

"FUS RO DAH!"

The Afflicted scattered like leaves, thrown into the air by the sheer power of Aeros's Thu'um.

"Run!" he shouted, motioning the others onwards. They all ran up the stairs, avoiding weapons and fists swung at them. Serana was the first through the door, holding it open for the others. Aela was next, followed by Vilkas and Farkas. Finally, only Aeros was left, and as he neared the doors, he stopped and faced the pursuing mob.

"What are you doing?" Aela yelled. "Get in here!"

Aeros summoned magicka into his body and concentrated it in his hands. The air around him cooled rapidly and frost began to spread out from where he stood. When the mob was only a few yards away, he raised his hands and unleashed one of the highest level spells he knew, a blizzard.

The spell engulfed the entire landing, freezing winds carrying the Afflicted back down the stairs and coating everything in a heavy layer of ice. Turning, Aeros rushed through the doors to join the others. Serana and Farkas slammed the doors shut as soon as he was through, dropping a heavy wooden beam behind it so no one could get through.

No one moved much for a while, all of them trying to catch their breath. Aela was the first to recover, and she looked around at their surrounding. It was like any other dwarven ruins she had been in, stone tables, stone beds, every inch of wall worked with superb craftsmanship. Except...

"What are these?" she said aloud, glancing curiously at a metal barrel filled with a brightly glowing green liquid. The liquid oozed and bubbled in the barrel, and gave off a foul odor.

"Careful Aela," Aeros cautioned her. "It's probably something to do with Peryite. Who knows what it might do?"

Aela snorted, but moved away from the barrel anyways.

"So now what?" Vilkas asked. "We can't exactly go back out the way we came, since there's now a whole mob waiting to tear us apart."

"We keep going," Serana replied. "We need to find whatever's causing this anyways."

"Based off of past experiences, whatever we're looking for is going to be in the lowest levels, all the way down at the bottom," said Aeros.

"What makes you say that?" Farkas asked. "Have you been here before?"

"No," Aeros said with a shake of his head. "But that's where everything in these kind of ruins are."

They made their way down the hallway, past several more vats of glowing ooze. All of them were listening intently for any sound or whisper of pursuers, but everything was quiet.

"I don't know what's worse," Serana muttered. "Having to deal with a bunch of crazed Daedra worshippers, or entering their lair and having no idea where they are."

They passed several rooms and beds, but they were all empty, no doubt belonging to the cultists that had attacked them outside. They were just about to round a corner when Aela pulled them all back. She put a finger to her lips and nodded her head at the chamber ahead of them. Straining their ears, they could hear someone talking.

"Peryite, heed our call if you deem us worthy. We have planted the seeds of your blessing throughout Skyrim, and spread your message for all to hear. We ask now that you grant us even more of your blessing, so that we may suffer in your name. Let us feel your essence within our very beings!"

Carefully looking into the chamber, they could see three Afflicted lifting their arms in prayer around some sort of shrine. In the center rose a giant pillar, with two dragons carved at the top. All around its base was more of the noxious green liquid.

Not seeing any more enemies, the five of them stepped into the chamber. Immediately, the three of worshippers froze and turned to face them.

"Who are you?" one of them growled. "You are no followers of Peryite."

Farkas spat on the ground. "Ha! As if we'd want to worship him! I much prefer not being a disease riddled carcass."

"Heretics!" one of the worshippers, a woman, shrieked. "You must pay for such words against our lord!"

They charged the five companions, daggers and spells ready. But as Aeros and the others moved to intercept, one of them stumbled and clutched his stomach.

"What-?" Serana started to ask, before Aeros grabbed her and pulled her down.

The man retched, and vomited violently, the bile flying over their heads and splashing against a wall.

"Okay, that's just nauseating," Serana said in disgust, looking over her shoulder at the glowing stain. "The least they could do is fight us with weapons and magic, not throw up all over us."

"I don't think now's really the time to be worrying about that, Serana," Aeros said with a grunt, as he parried the other man's mace.

"Fine, fine," Serana grumbled as she got to her feet. "But if they ruin my clothes, you are in SO much trouble."

"Really?" Aeros asked in disbelief. He ducked the mace again and glanced back at Serana. "You're worrying about clothes at a time like this? When we're trying to stop a plague from killing all of Skyrim?"

Serana shrugged. "Hey, even a vampire girl has to worry about her clothes from time to time." She whipped her arm forward, sending her dagger spinning through the air. It buried itself in the man's eye and he dropped to the ground.

"Could you two please stop flirting with each other and come help us?" Aela yelled in exasperation.

The three Companions were fending off the remaining two cultists. One was a large orc who kept the three of them at bay with powerful sweeps of his warhammer while behind him, the Dunmer woman fired a constant stream of destruction magic, lightning and fireballs barely missing their heads.

"Got it!" Aeros replied as he and Serana ran forward to help.

"FUS RO DAH!" he shouted, knocking the two Afflicted off their feet.

As soon as the barrage of magic stopped, Aela nocked an arrow and let it fly, the arrow buzzing through the air like an angry hornet. It thudded into the chest of the female spellcaster, and she staggered back with a look of surprise on her face. Before she could do much more than that, Farkas was in front of her, already swinging his two-handed sword. A large ribbon of red appeared on the elf's body, crossing from her right shoulder all the way to her left hip. She collapsed in a boneless heap.

Vilkas meanwhile deflected another sweep of the orc's giant hammer, sending the orc's arm out wide and leaving him wide open. With a yell, Vilkas slashed with all his might. For a split second, neither him nor the orc moved. Then the orc's head fell from his neck and rolled away.

The five of them stood there looking at each other, panting. When no more Afflicted ran out to meet them, they put away their weapons.

Vilkas approached the glowing stain on the wall and studied it with a mixture of curiosity and disgust. "What do you think would have happened if that had hit us?" he wondered aloud.

"I don't think I want to find out," his brother growled. "I doubt it's good. Come on, brother."

Vilkas stared at the bile for a moment longer, before with a shrug, he joined the rest of them.

They followed some stairs down and entered a large cavern, dotted with dwarven buildings and structures. Some sort of heavy vine none of them had ever seen before wrapped around some of the buildings, giving off an almost sinister feeling.

As they entered the cavern, they encountered several more Peryite worshippers, all of whom tried to either kill them or cover them in foul fluids.

"Ugh," Aela said in disgust as she looked down at the green stains on her armor. "I think I'm going to have to burn this armor when this is all over."

"Nothing we can do about it right now," Aeros said absently. "Let's keep moving. The longer we take, the more people that are at risk of being infected."

They moved towards the far end of the cavern, where they could see a rampway leading further into the ruins.

As they approached the ramp though, they stopped in front of one group of vines. This collection of vines had grown vertically, twisting together until it was thicker around than any of their waists. What was more, there was an odd growth in the middle.

"What is _that_?" Serana asked. No one had an answer.

In the center of the large vine, was a bulge. The bulge forced the individual vines outwards, forming a cage or net around a thick center vine. Growing on the vine was what almost looked like a cocoon or sac. The sac was glowing a bright sickly shade of green and looked as if it could burst at any moment.

"The more we find, the sooner I want to leave this place," Vilkas muttered uneasily.

They edged past the sac uneasily, following the ramp up and through another gate.

As they proceed farther in, the vines around them began growing larger and thicker and the odd glowing sacs began appearing with increasing frequency. They also found themselves fighting more and more Afflicted.

"I'm hoping that this means we're getting close," Aeros said after a fight with a particularly large group of cultists.

"Hey, Aeros!" Farkas said from where he was standing by a table. "I found something that might be important."

Aeros and the others hurried over, and Farkas handed Aeros a note he had found.

"Orchendor has gone done to the Aerdrome," he read aloud. "He believes some of the old Dwemer machines down there will help enhance our Blighted Lord's blessings. 'They' have gone down there as well."

He looked up at his friends. "Well?" he asked, wanting to know what they thought.

Aela looked thoughtful. "This Orchendor sounds like the leader of the cultists. Hopefully, if we can find him and kill him, then this should all be over."

"But who are the 'they' that the note mentions?" Serana asked worriedly. "It sounds like there might be something else down in this Aerdrome besides crazed Daedra worshippers."

Aeros shook his head. "I don't know. But this Orchendor is our best lead, and if he's down in some 'Aerdrome,' then that's where we need to go. We can worry about this other mysterious party after we stop this plague."

Aela, Vilkas, and Farkas all nodded in agreement. Vilkas had one concern though.

"Harbinger, what about all the cultists? There's bound to be even more of them the further we descend."

"Don't worry about them. I know just how to deal with them."

"And how do we do that?"

Aeros and Serana glanced at each other and grinned. They answered at the same time.

"By causing as much chaos and destruction as possible."

* * *

Author's Notes: The third installment of Blood and Pestilence! Aeros, Serana and the Circle descend further into the depths of Bthardamz in the hopes of putting a stop to the plague that is spreading across Skyrim. But what awaits them at the bottom?

Characters:

Orchendor: The priest leading the Afflicted. In the original quest, he was ordered by Peryite to gather the infected from several Breton villages and gather them in Bthardamz. He lost his way though, and turned against Peryite. In revenge, Peryite sent the Dragonborn to kill him.

Dragon Language:

Fus Ro Dah = Force Balance Push (Unrelenting Force Shout)


	21. Blood and Pestilence 4

Blood and Pestilence 4

Aeros was convinced Bthardamz was trying to kill him.

In the past hour, he had had to deal with homicidal cultists, deadly traps, and murderous machines that would like nothing more than to slice him to bits.

Now, he had dealt with situations like this before, during his numerous adventures throughout Skyrim. But generally they didn't happen all at once.

"Die, spawn of Hircine!" screamed an Afflicted cultist as he charged, an axe raised over his head. Still parrying another Afflicted's sword, Aeros calmly sidestepped and the cultist stumbled past. Before he could recover, Aeros kicked the man into the cultist he had been fighting. As they fell, Aeros stabbed both of them through the heart.

"You know what?" he said to no one in particular. "I think he meant that as an insult."

"Less wisecracks, more fighting," Aela yelled from where she and Serana were fighting five enemies at once. Aeros started towards them, but was distracted when almost a dozen robed figures assembled on the center platform in the middle of the room. They all raised their hands and, chanting prayers to Peryite, launched a volley of firebolts at Vilkas and Farkas.

The two brothers barely got out of the way in time, diving behind piles of rubble. The spells crashed into the wall behind where they had just been standing, leaving two very large scorch marks.

The mages turned their attention to where Serana and Aela were still fighting, although the number of cultists surrounding them had been reduced to three.

"Oh no you don't!" Aeros growled, dashing towards the mages. He slammed into their midst like a whirlwind, dodging spells and dealing death left and right. The mages all scrambled to get out of reach of his blades.

A split second was all the warning he had. Catching a motion out of the corner of his eye, Aeros turned to find an Afflicted on the landing above, pulling a lever.

Four twin-bladed rods rose up out of the four corners of the platform Aeros and the eight or so remaining mages stood on.

As the blades unfolded, the Afflicted who had pulled the lever yelled "For the glory of Peryite!"

"Aeros!" Serana screamed.

"FEIM ZII GRON!"

Aeros watched as his body turned transparent and almost mist like, a moment before the blades ripped through the space where he had been standing. It was a rather disconcerting experience, watching the blades pass through his body and having nothing happen. As the four bladed rods continued to spin, he looked at where the others still stood, frozen.

"Well?" he shouted. "Somebody shut this damn thing off!"

His voice jolted the others out of their stunned states, and Farkas hurried up to the landing and shoved the lever back to its original position. As for the Afflicted responsible for pulling it in the first place, a well placed arrow from Aela had caught him right between the eyes.

The rotating blades slowed, before folding up again, and the rods sunk back into the floor.

As the trap deactivated, Aeros gave a sigh of relief, dispelling the magic and returning to a corporeal form.

"Thanks," he said. "That wasn't a pleasant experience, to say the least." He glanced around for the mages. "What happened to the other…" He winced as he caught sight of what was left of the mages who had also been caught in the trap. The blades had done their job well.

He shuddered, thankful he had reacted fast enough. "Come on," he said. "The sooner we can leave this place, the better.

* * *

\- Bthardamz Lower District -

As another cultist fell, Aeros lowered his swords with a troubled look on his face.

"Does anyone else think this is too easy?" he asked the others. The five of them had fought their way through the various chambers and halls of the dwemer ruins, fending off wave after wave of attacks. They now stood on a set of stone pathways suspended above what appeared the be the main level of the ruins, and had just fought off another group of cultists, killing most of them, and causing the few survivors to flee deeper into the underground city.

Serana snorted with amusement. "What were you expecting? You kill dragons for a living. Did you actually think a couple of crazed Daedra worshippers would prove to be a challenge? Right, Aela?"

Aela didn't say anything at first, frowning as she sent another arrow between an Afflicted's ribcage. Finally, she shook her head.

"I think Aeros is right," she said. "These people are supposed to be worshippers of a Daedric Prince, blessed by Peryite, the Lord of Pestilence. Even if Peryite is considered the weakest of the Princes, his worshippers should still be a force to be reckoned with. But these people are little more than small fry. It makes me uneasy."

Aeros nodded in agreement. "Plus, we haven't seen any sign of this 'they' mentioned in that note. I feel like we're being played, like whoever is behind this is trying to wear us down."

Slow clapping emanated from the room at the end of the pathway. They all spun to look in that direction, hands reaching for their weapons. A Bosmer woman stepped out from behind a pillar, flanked by four other Afflicted. Unlike the previous Afflicted they had encountered, she actually looked healthy, with long, glossy brown hair and smooth skin. The only signs of her illness were her flushed skin and the light sheen of sweat covering her body. That, and the fanatical look in her eyes.

"Well, well," the Bosmer said in appreciation. "It would appear the Dragonborn is more than just a hulking brute. He actually has some intelligence."

"And you are?" Aeros asked, sizing up what were obviously the woman's bodyguards.

"I gave up my former name when I joined Lord Peryite's flock. But you may call me Erra." The last part was said with a sardonic smile, as if something about it amused her.

"And I don't suppose you're here to tell us where to find your master, Orchendor?" Aeros asked.

The Bosmer woman, Erra, laughed, a cold, high sound that made the hair on the back of Aeros's neck stand up.

"No, I'm afraid not, dear Dragonborn. Rather, I was sent to make sure you and your little friends don't interrupt the ceremony. Which, I'm sad to say, means I have to kill you."

She flicked her hand and launched a fireball at them. As the spell sailed towards them, Aeros brought his own hand up, a ward spell already prepared. The ball of fire exploded against the barrier, dissipated harmlessly.

"Well done, Dragonborn," Erra said mockingly. "But I'm afraid it's not enough." With that, her four bodyguards charged.

Aeros tensed in preparation, but before he could do anything, Aela, Vilkas, and Farkas sprinted past him.

"Don't worry, Harbinger," Farkas said over his shoulder. "We'll handle these ones. You and Serana focus on dealing with the nutjob."

"Come on, Serana!" Aeros said, jumping over the combatants. Erra was waiting for them, not even bothering to try and run, despite it being two to one.

Skidding to a halt, Aeros unleashed a bolt of lightning at the Bosmer, while Serana sent a spike of ice directly at the woman's head. Before either spell could hit her though, Erra disappeared in a flash of green light.

"What? Where did she-?" Aeros spun around to determine where she went.

"You shouldn't underestimate your foes like that, Dragonborn," a voice said chastisingly from behind him, followed by a blast that knocked him off his feet. "It might lead to your death."

With a groan, Aeros flipped himself over. The woman, Erra was standing about ten feet behind where he had been standing, smirking down at him.

And of course, the person to wipe that smirk off of the elf's face was Serana, as she hit the woman in the shoulder with a pair of ice spikes.

"And you shouldn't take your eyes off of your enemies when you're fighting more than one," Serana said smugly.

Erra staggered back, grasping at her shoulder. Once again, she disappeared in a flash of green light.

She reappeared in the room in front of them, growling as she cast a restoration spell on her wounded shoulder. As Serana helped Aeros to his feet, she growled in anger.

"You fools!" she snarled. "Do you think I'm just another Afflicted like the ones you've fought on your way here? Ha! Those were weaklings, the impure! They received but a fraction of my Lord's blessings. Their bodies were unable to handle more, wasting away from the little it had been exposed to!"

Her hands began to glow with magicka, burning the color of flames, but with a sickly tinge to it, an unnatural glowing green.

"Why do I get the feeling that _won't_ make me feel warm and fuzzy inside?" Aeros asked.

"Die!" Erra screamed, unleashing an inferno, the flames tainted with green.

"Duck!" Aeros yelled, pulling Serana down with him. Aela, Farkas, and Vilkas heard him and dropped low. The wall of flames roared overhead, consuming the Afflicted they had been fighting. The men screamed and dropped their weapons, trying to put out the fires, but as Aeros and the others watched in horror, the burns began spreading like a disease, spreading across the men's bodies, until eventually the men stopped struggling, their screams dwindling into silence.

Aeros shuddered and turned back towards Erra, his eyes blazing. He advanced slowly towards Erra, swords in hand. The Bosmer watched him approach, panting and leaning heavily against a wall.

"Your own men," Aeros growled. "You killed your own men in an attempt to stop us. Did you not care about what happened to them?"

She laughed, a cruel smile on her lips. "It was a necessary sacrifice, and they have proven their worth to Lord Peryite."

Before Aeros could even process such a callous remark, the Bosmer woman lunged forward, a Daedric dagger appearing in her hand.

Reacting instinctively, Aeros twisted to the side, away from the dagger. Catching the jagged part of the blade on the crossguard of his sword, he twisted his wrist and sent the dagger spinning through the air. At the same time, he stepped forward with his other sword and plunged it into the elf's chest.

The elf sunk to her knees, dragging Aeros's arm down. Despite the fatal wound, she laughed, blood bubbling on her lips; Aeros figured he must have punctured a lung.

"It's too late, Dragonborn," she whispered. "My comrades and I did what was needed and stalled you enough to allow the ceremony to be completed."

"What ceremony?" Aeros demanded. "What did Orchendor do?"

But Erra didn't answer. She had stopped laughing and already her eyes were acquiring a glassy look.

Aeros swore and pulled out his sword. He turned to find Serana, Aela and the others examining the burnt corpses warily. Looking at the bodies himself, Aeros suppressed a shudder. He had been right about the burns spreading like a disease. The bodies looked like the remains of plague victims.

Averting his eyes, he said to the others: "Come on. We're almost to the Aerdrome; it should be right through those doors. And I don't like the sound of this 'ceremony.' If they sent out a group to delay us, it sounds like we're going to want to stop whatever it is they're up to.

The others nodded and skirted around the bodies. They hurried into the hallway Erra must have come from, finding a pair of doors at the end. Opening the doors, the five companions entered the next section of the dwarven ruins.

Water cascaded down from the cavern ceiling, collecting into large pools of water. Thick vines wrapped around most of the architecture and rubble. Near the top of the cavern, they could see a structure extending further into the rock.

"The air smells different here," said Aela as the doors closed behind them. "The stench of disease is stronger. We must be getting close." The others nodded in agreement and they hurried along the walkways.

Destroying the few dwemer automatons they encountered, Aeros, Serana, and the the Circle reached the top landing quickly. And were promptly greeted by several thousand pounds of metal.

"Centurion!" Vilkas yelled, which was rather unnecessary, but they all dived out of the way anyways, just in time to avoid being steam broiled by the giant metal man's breath.

"So," Aeros said as he dodged the hammer the giant machine wielded as an arm. "Who wants to get up close and say hello?"

Farkas grunted as he blocked the centurion's blow. "Well, since you're the one with all the fancy magic-," another grunt, "-and the voice of a dragon, how about you, Harbinger?"

Aeros just grinned. "Works for me."

Aiming behind the automaton, Aeros shouted.

"WULD NAH KEST!"

Aeros flew down the length of the hallway in a blur, skidding to a stop directly behind the dwarven centurion. The centurion's upper body rotated around to look at this new threat.

"Hello!" he said cheerily, right before he plunged his sword into a gap between the armored plates, stabbing the dynamo core that powered the thing.

The centurion jerked to a halt, all of its visible gears grinding to a halt. It collapsed in a loud crash of metal.

Aeros looked at the others at the other end of the hallway.

"Well?" he said, raising an eyebrow. "Are you guys coming or not?"

"Sometimes I swear that man is mad," Aela muttered as they walked down the hallway. Serana stifled a giggle.

After that, it was just the usual assortment of dwarven spiders and spheres, none of which posed a threat.

At last they entered a large chamber. The walls on either side were lined by gigantic pipes. At the far end, two braziers were emitting a noxious green smoke. And in between these two braziers, stood a shrine to Peryite, an image of his dragon form carved at the top. Growing around the base of the shrine was another of those mysterious cocoons, or sacs, or whatever they were.

A man knelt in front of the shrine, seemingly in prayer. He stood and turned as they entered the room.

"Greetings, Dragonborn," he said as they approached. "My name is Orchendor. Have you come to finally join our flock?"

Now that they could get a good look at him, Aeros and the others saw that he was an elderly Bosmer, his long hair and beard white with age. He wore simple black robes with a dwarven dagger belted at his side. But despite his calm demeanor and simple appearance, he gave off a feeling of hidden power.

Aeros sneered. "Right. I came all this way, killing your precious followers just to join your demented little cult and give myself over to Peryite." He shook his head. "Nope, sorry, but I'm just here to end this little plan of yours to infect all of Skyrim."

Orchendor cocked his head to one side, staring at Aeros as if he were a puzzle that he was attempting to solve.

At last, the old man sighed. "A pity. I was convinced you would join us once you had seen the glory of Lord Peryite for yourself; it seems I was mistaken. As for killing my precious followers, well…" he shrugged. "Sometimes the weak must be culled from the flock so that it may grow stronger. All you have done is help show who is worthy to be part of our following."

The Daedric priest turned his attention to Serana and the other three. "And what about you three? Do any of you wish to renounce your own Daedric Princes?" When all he received were glares and the tightening of grips on weapons, the old elf sighed again.

"Very well. In that case, I'm afraid I'll have to kill you."

Faster than any of them would have thought possible, the elf cast an expert-level Destruction spell, a thunderbolt that arced towards them. They all jumped out of the way, and the lightning blasted into the ground, leaving a large scorch mark.

"Two can play at that game," Aeros growled. "Serana!"

"Right!"

Together, the two of them attacked, Serana launching a volley of ice spikes and Aeros unleashing an overcharged fireball. The spells slammed into Orchendor in a huge explosion, and he temporarily disappeared from view.

Before Aeros and Serana could celebrate though, two spears of ice forced them to dodge out of the way. The smoke cleared and Orchendor stood in the same place, completely unharmed and an amused smile on his face.

"A commendable effort," he said mockingly, "but a waste of magicka. I'm afraid you won't be able to hit me with any sort of spells like that."

"How about an arrow between the eyes?" Aela called, sending an arrow flying through the air. Before it could get close though, the Bosmer disappeared in a flash of green light.

"No, I'm afraid that won't work either," he said from one of the ledges on the side of the room.

"You know," Aeros muttered, "I really hate that spell. Somehow, it always seems like enemy spell casters can use it way more often than I can."

Raising his voice to a normal tone, he said to Serana and the others: "Well, if magic won't work, and we can't hit him with arrows, I'll guess we'll just have to do this the old-fashioned way; with steel." He turned to Aela and Serana. "I need you two to stay back and keep firing spells and arrows at him, to keep him distracted and to prevent him from char-broiling us three."

Aela nodded and nocked another arrow, while Serana sheathed her dagger and readied another spell.

Aeros, Vilkas, and Farkas charged forward, swords ready. Once they were within striking range, Farkas swung his greatsword in a horizontal slash, but Orchendor disappeared again.

"Behind you!" Aela warned, and Aeros turned in time to raise a ward, deflecting the firebolt that had been zooming towards their heads.

They kept this up for another ten minutes, dodging spells and trying to get close enough to actually hit the priest. Eventually, the elf started to tire, and Aela actually managed to wound his leg with an arrow, but at the same time, so were they. A couple times, Aeros or the brothers barely managed to avoid getting a face full of magic.

Finally, Orchendor stood back in the middle of the room. As Aeros charged him once again, he tried to teleport again. He was so exhausted and drained of magicka however, that the spell sputtered and refused to work.

Seeing an opportunity, Aeros poured on an extra burst of speed, and before the elderly priest could move to avoid him, he was within sword-range. Swinging the sword in his left-hand sideways, Aeros slashed the elf across the chest. The fire enchantment refused to work again, but it didn't matter, as the razor-edged blade cut deep.

Orchendor stumbled back, clutching at his bleeding chest. The wound was bleeding heavily, and he would no doubt die from blood loss if he couldn't stop it.

"No," the priest gasped. "I will not die yet...not while so many still remain ignorant of the blessings of Peryite…"

Aeros stepped towards him. "Sorry pal, but that's not going to happen. I'm putting a stop to this madness right now." With a spin, he swung both swords up overhead, before swinging them down in an arc. The dragonbone blades didn't even seem to pause, and for a second nothing happened. Then Orchendor's body collapsed and his head separated from his body, rolling away across the floor.

"Well done, Harbinger!" Farkas shouted, pumping his fist in the air. For one normally so stoic, it was an amusing sight to watch him bellowing in victory.

"So is that it?" Serana asked Aeros. "Did that put a stop to this plague?"

Aeros frowned at Orchendor's body. Something didn't seem right. "It should be," he answered. "With the head priest dead, Peryite's conduit to this realm should be severed. All the victims should be cured and everything should be back to normal."

A cold and cruel voice rang out from above them. "I'm afraid not."

* * *

Author's Notes: Sorry for the wait. Anyways, does anyone ever wish there were multiple possible endings for Daedric quests? I've never liked the fact that you could never refuse a Daedric Prince's wishes, besides not doing the quest. This is mostly just as someone who is both a completionist but who also enjoys playing a "good" character most of the time, the kind of character who wouldn't do the sort of things a lot of the Daedric quests require you to, and would try to find some other way.

Mainly this applies to the quests like Molag Bal's or Namira's. In Molag Bal's, he orders you to kill Tyranus, a Vigilant of Stendarr, and if you refuse to do it, Tyranus attacks you and you're forced to kill him anyways. And the only way to avoid this situation is to completely avoid him and not talk with him at all about the haunted house. I would have loved an option where you either escape with Tyranus, or return with a priest to seal away Molag Bal's shrine.

Just something I thought about when writing this arc.

Characters:

Erra: OC. A fanatical worshipper of Peryite who received even greater blessings than the other Afflicted, hence why she appears almost normal. An interesting tidbit, Erra is the name of the Mesopotamian god of mayhem and pestilence.

Dragon Language:

Feim Zii Gron = Fade Spirit Bind (Become Ethereal Shout)

Wuld Nah Kest = Whirlwind Fury Tempest (Whirlwind Sprint Shout)


	22. Blood and Pestilence 5

Blood and Pestilence 5

"I'm afraid not."

All five of them whirled around at the sound of the mysterious voice, hands jumping to weapon hilts. Standing on the ledge above them stood two Altmer, sneering down at them. And they both wore some very familiar robes…

"Thalmor," Aela spat. "I should have known. Who else would associate themselves with such filth? I'm surprised you milk-drinkers didn't flee when we killed this Daedric priest of yours." She indicated the decapitated body of Orchendor.

The female elf lowered her hood. Underneath, her skin was a darker tint than that of her companion, almost a brass color instead of the pale gold hue common amongst their race. Her eyes were a glittering emerald green, reminding Aeros of a poisonous viper. She smiled in amusement. "How quaint. You actually think we would allow a lesser mer like that in our ranks?" She laughed at the very idea. It was a short laugh, but the sound made the hair on the back of Aeros's neck stand up. Underneath that musical sound, there was a cold edge, as if she couldn't wait to dissect them.

When she was done, she looked at each of them in turn. "No, I'm afraid that Bosmer was nothing more than a pawn, a means to an end. He served his purpose, and you saved us the trouble of having to kill him."

"What end?" Serana demanded. "What purpose?"

The Thalmor woman started to respond, but her companion leaned over and whispered something in her ear. She smirked.

"Yes well, before that, there are a few minor details to be taken care of. First, it would seem like we're still missing some important members of our group," she said as she snapped her fingers. All along the edges of the room, slabs of stone slid open, revealing hidden doorways that Thalmor soldiers poured out of. The soldiers surrounded Aeros and the others. "And second, it looks like a few of you weren't invited to this little get-together of ours. I'm afraid I'll have to ask you to leave." She snapped her fingers again, and two large trap doors swung open underneath Serana and Aela, and Vilkas and Farkas.

"Serana!" Aeros yelled, lunging forward in an attempt to catch her. But his hand grasped only empty air, as Serana and the others plunged into darkness.

"Well," the Thalmor woman said. "Now everyone is accounted for. Shall we begin?

Aeros whirled on the two lead Thalmor. "Who are you?" he growled. "What do you want? And most importantly, WHAT DID YOU DO WITH MY FRIENDS?!" He was shouting now, but he didn't care. He glared at the woman and her companion, breathing heavily.

The elven woman smiled coldly. "You're concerned for your friends. How touching. But now is not the time to worry about them, since you should be more concerned for your own well being. As to who we are, well I suppose introductions are in order. You are, of course, Aeros Dragons-Bane, Dragonborn and savior of Skyrim. I am Elanin, Inquisitor of the Aldmeri Dominion. And this is Valon, also an Inquisitor."

She paused, as if waiting for Aeros to begin groveling and begging forgiveness. When his only response was to continue glaring, her mouth tightened, but she continued.

"As for what we want-"

Her companion, Inquisitor Valon, interrupted her. "What we want is simple," he said in a harsh voice that was deeper than Elanin's. There was hardly a shred of the musical accent of the Altmer in his voice, overshadowed by a particular hardness, as if he was used to ordering troops, not playing spy.

"What we want is you, Dragonborn."

* * *

\- Somewhere beneath Bthardamz -

Serana shot out of the chute, crashing hard onto the stone floor. She groaned in pain, and a second later, a yelp and a similar crash told her Aela had also wound up here, wherever here was. She opened her eyes and forced herself to sit up, although every part of her body screamed in protest.

"Ugh...my head," Aela groaned. Serana glanced over at her and despite their situation, she had to stifle a laugh. The huntress was lying in an undignified heap, face down and with her backside sticking up in the air. Aela slowly pushed herself up into a more dignified position.

"Where are we?" she asked, looking around. Serana did the same, trying to determine where that chute had taken them. After that Thalmor bitch had dropped the floor out from under them, Aela and Serana had dropped into a metal chute that had twisted and turned for gods know how long, expanding and shrinking as it joined up with other chutes. After what felt like hours, it had finally deposited them here.

Looking around, the two women could see they were in a cell of sorts. Three of the walls were solid stone, sturdy and immovable. The fourth wall was made up of metal bars with a thick metal door in the center. Outside their cell was what looked like a jail room, although it was deserted at the moment.

"Where are Vilkas and Farkas?" Serana asked. There was no sign of the werewolf twins.

"Probably in a separate cell block," Aela said with a grunt. "They fell into a different hole, right? I didn't see any sign of them on the way down, so their chute must have led somewhere else. Besides, I doubt the Thalmor would have wanted to keep us all together.

"Speaking of which, we need to get out of here," Serana said, climbing to her feet. "I hate to think how Aeros is doing against so many of those pointy-eared bastards."

Aela nodded, and Serana helped pull her to her feet. Together, they examined the entrance to the cell, looking for weaknesses.

"The door's no good," Aela growled in exasperation. "It's solid metal and I don't have any lockpicks to try and open it with. What about the bars?"

"We could try and bend them apart," Serana suggested. "Here, help me."

They both grasped a bar and pulled as hard as they could, trying to make an opening they could slip through. But not even Serana's supernatural strength was enough to shift the bars, and they finally had to admit defeat.

"Damnit!" Aela swore, slamming her fist against a wall. "What are we going to do? We can't just sit here!"

Serana just shook her head. She opened her mouth to respond...

"Are you...are you here to stop the cultists?" a voice asked timidly.

* * *

\- Bthardamz Arcanex -

Aeros scoffed. "You're here to try and capture me? I thought Elenwen would have learned by now. Besides, I haven't done anything to break the White-Gold Concordat, so you have no grounds to try and arrest me."

The elf drew back his hood and Aeros was finally able to get a good look at him. He had golden skin, like most Altmer, but his hair was a striking silver color, although it didn't appear to be from age. And unlike most of his kind, it was cropped short, in a military style. His hard golden eyes stared intently down at Aeros. Looking at him, Aeros knew his intuition had been right. This elf might be an inquisitor, but he didn't deal with espionage and information gathering. No, he was a soldier.

"It would seem you've misunderstood me," he said with a smirk. "We're not here on orders from First Emissary Elenwen. Indeed, the Dominion has ordered her to avoid any conflict with you, for the time being. No, we decided to come here on our own and deal with the problem you present ourselves."

"What are you talking about?" Aeros snapped. He wanted nothing more than to slice his way through the Thalmor and find his friends, but there was a good chance he would be turned into a human pincushion if he tried. He was acutely aware of all the swords and bows trained on him around the room. Besides, the female Thalmor, Elanin, had made it sound as if the threat from Peryite wasn't over yet. If she knew something, he needed to find out what before he acted.

"Yes, well you've been causing quite the headache for the upper leadership of the Dominion. That means that by killing you, not only would we be removing a major threat to the Thalmor, but we would at the same time gain a huge amount of influence and power back in the Summerset Isles."

"That is why we lured you here," said Elanin.

Aeros frowned. "Lure me here? What in Oblivion are you talking abou? You didn't lure me anywhere."

"Oh but we did," Elanin said with relish. "We found that priest, Orchendor, and his 'flock,' scavenging amongst the rubble of this place, like animals. They were content to sit here in their own filth, but we convinced them that Peryite had sent us, and that they were to spread his blessing throughout Skyrim. We helped them increase their numbers, spread rumors, and helped them infiltrate the holds, all in the hopes of drawing you out."

Valon laughed at the look of shock on Aeros's face. "Yes, all of this was done just to get to you, Dragonborn. You see, while we used our connections to learn what we could about you, we heard the same thing over and over. 'The Dragonborn protects the people of Skyrim and will do whatever it takes to save his friends.' Really, it was all too easy to come up with a plan after hearing that."

Aeros's body shook with anger. The shock had faded and was now replaced with rage. "All this…" he said haltingly, his anger making it difficult to speak coherently. "Creating a plague, endangering all of Skyrim...was just so you could get to me?"

"I see you're a little slow on the uptake," Elanin said with a sneer. "Yes, all of this was just so-" She stopped and backpedaled when Aeros's head snapped up, his eyes blazing with anger.

"Then I'll have to make sure you pay for it," Aeros swore, charging at the two elves.

* * *

\- Somewhere beneath Bthardamz -

Aela and Serana both turned and looked through the bars of their cell. Standing just on the other side was a young Breton girl, barely old enough to be considered a woman. At most, she was maybe fifteen or sixteen years old. She was petite, with shoulder length brown hair, and bright green eyes. Her skin looked slightly feverish, and her eyes were overly bright, but other than that, the girl appeared healthy. She looked at them anxiously.

"Yes…" Aela said slowly. "We are here to kill the cultists. Unfortunately, we're stuck in here."

The Breton girl shifted from foot to foot, looking down at the stone floor. Finally, she spoke up, "If...if I can get you the keys, could…" She took a deep breath, before saying the rest in a rush, "could you take me with you when you leave?"

Aela and Serana both blinked in surprise. They hadn't expected to find someone who wanted to help them down here. Serana crouched down in front of the girl. "Aren't you with the cultists?" she asked curiously. "You're wearing their robes, and I don't know how else you would have gotten here. Why would you want to help us?"

The Breton girl shook her head vehemently. "I'm not with _them_," she said with obvious disgust. "I wound up here after the Afflicted infected my village and kidnapped the survivors."

"Then you're not a worshipper of Peryite?" Aela asked.

"No...or at least not a willing one. A couple days ago, they forced me to take part in the ceremony and receive Peryite's 'blessing.' I've been fighting it as much as I can, but I don't know how much longer I can last."

She looked at them with tears in her eyes. "Please...I can't stand it anymore! Take me with you!" She broke down, sobbing from all the fear and stress she had been forced to endure.

Serana glanced at Aela, and Aela nodded, her face softening. Serana turned back to the Breton. "Hey...hey, it's alright," she said gently. "We'll take you with us when we get out of here."

The girl looked up at her, hope kindling in her eyes. "You will?" she asked tearily. "You promise?"

"I promise," Serana said, smiling kindly. "But first, what's your name?"

The girl returned the smile. "Aleiane. I'll be back with the key! I know where they keep it." With that she dashed off, disappearing around a corner.

Serana turned and grinned at Aela. "Well, it looks like we have a new friend, as well as a way out. Let's just hope that Aeros can hold out until we get there."

* * *

\- Bthardamz Arcanex -

Aeros fended off another wave of Thalmor soldiers, parrying their blades and ducking underneath their arrows. He cut down another elf with a swipe of his blade.

"Stop running!" he snarled at Elanin and Valon, who were standing at the back of all the soldiers. "Come and fight me yourself, instead of sending these grunts to do it for you!"

Elanin smiled in amusement. "I'm afraid not. You see, we know better than to engage you in a fair fight. Your prowess in battle is well known. Besides, I'm more of a mage than a warrior."

"And what about you?" Aeros growled at Valon, stabbing two more Thalmor. He had been fighting for more than fifteen minutes now, and he could feel himself beginning to tire. He had been fighting his way through the ruins all day, and there seemed no end to the Thalmor soldiers. It seemed like two more sprung up for every one he killed, and even the greatest fighter could fall to sheer numbers.

His only chance lay in killing Valon and Elanin. Hopefully, killing their commanders would cause the rest of the Thalmor to lose heart and flee.

Valon regarded him coldly for several moments, his face expressionless. Finally, he nodded.

"Very well, Dragonborn. I accept your challenge." He drew his sword, a glittering glass blade, made from malachite metal. It was an ornate weapon, with gold engravings along the hilt and crossguard and a large emerald set in the pommel. No doubt it was some sort of noble family heirloom or something similar.

Aeros readied himself. "Alright, now call off your men."

Valon grinned cruelly. "I don't think so. I never said I would fight you fairly, Dragonborn." He charged forward, swinging his sword at Aeros's neck.

Aeros brought his own sword up, stopping the glass blade an inch from his neck. At the same time, he lunged forward with the sword in his other hand, and Valon had to dance out of the way. He made to follow, but was stopped by a volley of arrows. With a growl, he turned and looked in the direction of the archers.

"Stay out of this," he growled. "IIZ SLEN NUS!"

A bunch of life-sized ice statues clinked against the stone floor. With a satisfied nod, he turned his attention back to the main threat. He rolled out of the way as a malachite blade slashed through the space where he had just been standing.

He got back to his feet, and faced his opponent again. Most of the remaining Thalmor circled them warily, looking for an opening.

Aeros and Valon glared at each other for several heartbeats, before with a yell, Aeros attacked. He swung the sword in his left hand at Valon's head while the blade in his right cut at the elf's legs. The Inquisitor avoided both expertly, ducking underneath the first and dropping his sword down to block the second. While Aeros was off-balance, Valon lashed out with a punch. The gauntleted fist connected with a sickening crunch, as the cartilage in Aeros's nose was smashed together. Blood spurted out, and Aeros stumbled backwards with a yell, grasping his broken nose.

The other Thalmor, seeing an opportunity, surged forward. Even blinded by pain as he was, Aeros was still able to react to the onslaught of elven weapons. Although that reaction wasn't what could be called conventional.

Still maintaining his grip on his swords, Aeros cast a large frost rune on the ground. The elves realized too late what he had done and tried to throw themselves out of the way. The rune erupted in an explosion of frost magic and ice, throwing everyone caught in the blast through the air.

Aeros skidded across the room, using his boots and gauntlets to slow himself down. He came to a stop and began casting restoration magic to fix his nose and stop the bleeding. Besides a bit of frost covering his armor, he didn't look any worse for wear. The elves weren't so lucky. Several of the elves lay groaning on the floor, while several weren't moving at all, large shards of ice impaled in their bodies.

Valon looked appreciatively at Aeros. "You used your race's natural resistance to frost and your heavy armor, and used them to your advantage. I'm impressed."

"Yeah well, it's not something I'd like to do again," Aeros replied. "Just because it doesn't hurt as much, doesn't mean it doesn't have a punch."

Aeros glanced around. It looked like he and Valon were the only ones still standing, with the exception of Elanin, who so far hadn't made any attempt to interfere. She just stood there watching, with that maddening self-satisfied smirk.

"Looks like you're all out of punching bags for me to hit," he noted dryly. "It's time to finish this, elf."

The Thalmor Inquisitor said nothing, but Aeros thought he could see the ghost of a smile playing across his lips.

Aeros closed the distance between them in a half dozen strides, both swords already whistling through the air. Valon ducked underneath both of them, retaliating with a vicious swipe across Aeros's chest. The malachite blade glanced off of the hard dragonbone armor, barely even scratching it. But before Aeros could press the attack again, Valon's off-hand whipped a dagger out from somewhere and plunged it through a gap in Aeros's armor, the blade sinking to the hilt in his shoulder.

Aeros swore, and shoved away from the elf, shouting for good measure:

"FUS!"

Valon stumbled back as the force of Aeros's Thu'um hit him, but he didn't press the attack. Keeping an eye on him out of the corner of his eye, Aeros removed the dagger with a grimace. Once he had fully removed it, he examined the weapon. It was an elven dagger, naturally, of similar make to the one Serana used. There seemed something odd about this one though. The edges were discolored, almost as if the blade had been coated in…

A wracking pain seized a hold of him, searing his muscles and nerves. The dagger slipped from his numb fingers as he collapsed to his knees.

_What…?_ he thought dimly, his thoughts sluggish. Slow as his mind was right then though, he still realized the answer quickly enough. _Poison…_

Valon and Elanin approached him triumphantly. Aeros managed to look up at the elf, and could see an arrogant smirk on his face.

"Indeed, Dragonborn," the Thalmor said smugly. "It is over."

* * *

\- The tunnels below Bthardamz -

"Are you sure they're this way?" Aela asked as they made their way along a long series of tunnels.

"Positive," Aleiane said as she led the way. "I overheard two of the cultists talking about some ceremony being completed, and how the Thalmor had just captured the Dragonborn and his allies. That's how I knew where to find you. They also said that two of you were being kept in what must have been a vault room, with thick walls and even thicker doors, to keep them from breaking out if they 'transformed.'" She glanced back at Serana and Aela. "You're werewolves, aren't you?"

Aela stumbled, but Serana caught her by the elbow and kept her moving. "They are," she explained, "I'm not." She studiously ignored Aela's glare for revealing the Circle's most closely-guarded secret.

Surprisingly, Aleiane seemed satisfied with that answer, and dropped the subject. They continued walking in silence, no one speaking.

At last, Aleiane signalled for them to stop. "You're friends are right around here," she said when they joined her, motioning around a corner. "There's two Thalmor guards and a couple of cultists. The guard on the right has the key. If you attack now, you might be able to surprise them."

"What about you?" Serana asked. "If you don't want to get involved, you can wait here."

The girl hesitated, then shook her head. "No. I'd like to help, but... I don't have anything to fight with."

Aela unhooked one of her daggers from her belt. "Here," she said, offering the blade to Aleiane. "You look like you'd be good with a dagger. You're small and quick, which means you can get close to an enemy to attack and then get out before they can react. Just try to avoid fighting them head on, at least until you're better."

Aleiane took the blade carefully, staring at it admiringly. It was Skyforge Steel, and honed to a razor's edge. She nodded, her face set in determination.

"Right," Aela said, grasping her other dagger in her right hand and pulling a shield off off her back, strapping it to her arm. "Let's go."

Serana and Aela charged around the corner, Aleiane following uncertainly behind. The two Thalmor and three Afflicted froze in shock. The Thalmor were the first to recover, and as one struggled to draw his sword from its scabbard, Serana blasted him with lightning. She turned her attention to the remaining Thalmor.

Aela meanwhile, had focused on the three Afflicted, stabbing through any chinks in their armor and bashing them repeatedly with her shield. She downed two of the cultists in this fashion, but when she turned around, she found the last cultists staring in surprise at a dagger blade sprouting from his chest. He collapsed noiselessly, and Aela looked up to see Aleiane standing behind him, grasping the dagger with both hands. She looked shocked by what she had just done, but as Aela watched, the shock faded and turned into grim acceptance.

"Not bad," she said appreciatively. "You took advantage of his distraction and probably saved me from getting an axe in the back.

Aleiane blushed at the praise, although her hands still gripped the dagger tightly.

Serana meanwhile had finished with the other guard and now had an ear cocked to the door. "Hey, Aela," she called. "This is it. I can hear Vilkas and Farkas on the other side." She listened some more and grinned. "From the sounds of it, they're coming up with a list of all the ways they're going to get back at the 'pointy-eared bastards' who locked them up."

Aela snorted in amusement. "Well come on then, let's free those two oafs."

Serana nodded and after finding the key, the two of them together pulled the doors open.

Vilkas and Farkas were both relieved and surprised to see them, but agreed it was best to find a way back up to where Aeros was. After a short round of introduction between the two brothers and Aleiane, the five of them set off down the tunnels, Aleiane once again guiding them.

After a while though, Serana dropped back next to Aela. "How do you think Aeros is doing?" she asked in an undertone. Aela kept her eyes on their surroundings, wary of an ambush, but replied in the same quiet whisper:

"I wouldn't worry about him. The man has faced down Daedric Princes and gods before. I doubt a couple Thalmor will give him too much trouble."

"But don't you think this was all a little too well planned?" Serana asked. Aela frowned but didn't reply. Serana continued. "We came here to stop a threat to Skyrim, and the Thalmor just happen to be waiting for us? Then they separate us from Aeros and each other, even going so far as to put Vilkas and Farkas in a room that they couldn't break out of, even if they transformed?"

"Speaking of which," Aela interrupted. "Why didn't they do the same for you and me? If they knew those two are werewolves, then they must know I am too. And you're a Daughter of Coldharbour. Surely that should have given them pause."

But Serana already knew the answer. "They've been spying on us. Probably since Aeros and I left Solitude. They must have been told about you transforming earlier, and knew you wouldn't be able to again for a while. As for why they didn't know about me, well…" She shrugged. "That's thanks to Aeros. He's put a lot of effort into making sure no one finds out about my secret, so that I can have a chance at a 'normal' life. Outside of the Circle and the Dawnguard, I don't think anyone knows what I really am."

Aela chortled. "I don't think he's realizes that life around him will never be even close to normal."

Serana snickered. "I think so too, but I decided not to burst his bubble."

They both laughed at that, making Aleiane and the twins look back curiously. Serana quickly became serious again though.

"What worries me though, is if they knew all that, and were prepared for it all, then they might have some kind of trick up their sleeve for Aeros."

Aela's frown deepened. "You're right. We better hurry and find a way back up to him."

After that, they quickened their pace, both women getting an uneasy feeling in their stomachs.

"We're almost near the top," Aleiane said after several tense minutes. "Just a couple more chambers and we should reach the Arcanex."

The others nodded and they kept running. They rounded a corner and entered a large chamber. But there they all skidded to a stop, staring at what awaited them in the center of the room

"This day just keeps getting worse," Aela groaned.

Next to her, Serana heaved a huge sigh. "Nothing's ever easy, is it?" she said tiredly.

* * *

\- Bthardamz Arcanex -

Aeros groaned as another wave of pain surged through his body. He glared at Valon and Elanin.

"What...did you do?" he grated out, fighting to think through a haze of pain.

Valon smirked. "I told you, Dragonborn. I had no intention of making this a fair fight. I had my soldiers fight you just so that you would exhaust yourself and so that I could accomplish my part of the plan.

"You mean...the part with the poisoned dagger?" Aeros asked angrily. Right now, his anger at all the suffering these two had caused was the only thing keeping him from succumbing to the pain.

"Poison?" Elanin asked in amusement. "No, that was no poison, dear Dragonborn. That was a gift from Lord Peryite."

Aeros stared at her uncomprehendingly. Slowly, painfully slow, a picture started to form in Aeros's mind. The discolored dagger, the Afflicted, and the glowing green ooze they had seen on their descent downwards. But…

"No," he growled in denial. "That's impossible. You're telling me that the poison you used was Peryite's _blessing_, the one that infected all of these cultists? How? The beast blood in me should have protected me…"

Elanin laughed mockingly. Aeros was really starting to hate that laugh.

"Of course it should have," she agreed. "Against any normal disease. But this isn't a normal disease, it's one straight from Peryite's Pits. And like I said before, we planned all of this."

"Did you never wonder," Valon continued, "why we waited for you here? Why we helped the cultists so much? We could have simply spread the rumors until you arrived and then waited outside the ruins for you to emerge bloodied and exhausted. The reason is simple. We tasked our mages with strengthening the blessings of Peryite, to the point where it could even overcome the blessings of another Daedric Prince."

"Even as we speak, the disease is spreading through your veins." He smiled as Aeros was wracked by another bout of mind numbing pain. "That excruciating pain you're feeling? That's the two natures inside of you clashing, your beast blood fighting against the infection. But don't worry. It won't kill you. That will have to wait until we've delivered you in front of the Queen Herself and the royal court. As for your friends, well, I doubt anyone will ever see them again."

Aeros closed his eyes, fighting against the pain, as he tried desperately to find a way out of this for him and his friends. But he couldn't think of a single solution.

_If you gods are listening right now_, he prayed silently, _I could really use a miracle right about now._

* * *

Author's Notes: Aeros lies helpless at the mercy of the Thalmor, while Serana and the others are rushing back towards him!

Characters:

Elanin: OC. An Inquisitor to the Aldmeri Dominion, she and her fellow Inquisitor, Valon, journeyed to Skyrim in the hopes of capturing Aeros and bringing him back to the Aldmeri Dominion. She has been handling the more espionage side of their mission, as she is an expert in the forgotten branch of dark magic.

Valon: OC. Inquisitor to the Aldmeri Dominion, Valon is an skilled swordsmen and a former commander of the Aldmeri army, serving back in the Great War. As such, he has been handling the soldiers and more militaristic aspects of his and Elanin's plan.

Aleiane: OC. A young Breton girl, somewhere between fifteen and sixteen years old. Her village was attacked by the Afflicted, who infected the entire village and then kidnapped the survivors.

Dragon Language:

Iiz Slen Nus = Ice Flesh Statue (Ice Form Shout)

Fus = Force (Part of the Unrelenting Force Shout)


	23. Blood and Pestilence 6

Blood and Pestilence 6

\- The tunnels below Bthardamz -

"Nothing's ever easy, is it?"

The five of them had entered a large chamber that must have once been a crossroads of sorts for the Dwemer city. Numerous tunnel entrances opened up around the chamber, although a great many were blocked with rubble. Scattered here and there throughout the room were the ruined remains of fountains, benches and the sort. _This must have been a gathering place for the dwarves_, Serana thought absently, her attention mainly focused on the threat in front of them.

Blocking their path were what must have been over two dozen cultists. Several of them tightened their grips on their weapons when the companions emerged from the tunnel, but besides that, none of them moved. Finally, a wizened old figure shuffled forward, an Imperial that was positively ancient. He pointed a bony finger at them accusingly.

"Blasphemers!" he screeched. "Your sacrilege ends here! You will not destroy everything our order has worked for. Our master's influence shall spread throughout Tamriel!"

"'Our master's influence?'" Aela muttered in confusion. "What influence? I thought we had already stopped the plague."

Serana shook her head. She didn't understand either. She raised her voice so that the cultists could hear her. "It's already over," she said. "Orchendor is dead, which means so is your conduit to Peryite. Now stand aside, or we'll be forced to kill you."

"Ha!" the old man barked. "You may have killed the head of our order, but the conduit survives! Orchendor foresaw this possibility, and took the necessary precautions. He performed a ceremony that transferred the conduit between Peryite's realm and ours. Behold!" He turned and motioned behind him.

For the first time, the five of them noticed the thing behind the cultists. It was another of those unnatural growths they had seen on their way down, vine-like appendages fusing together and forming a spire that towered towards the ceiling, with some sort of sac growing in the middle. This one was much larger than the others though, perhaps twenty, thirty feet tall. The sac or whatever it was in the middle glowed brightly with a sickly green light and almost seemed to pulse.

"Any ideas on how we destroy that thing?" Vilkas asked. "I don't think swords and daggers are going to be enough."

He was right, they realized. The base of the thing was as thick around as the trunk of the Gildergreen, and looked hard as iron.

"I don't know," Serana admitted. "If Aeros was here, he could probably just huff and puff and knock the thing over, but…"

Farkas cleared his throat. "Right now, we have bigger problems. Like the bunch of milk-drinkers that want to kill us. We can worry about the weird plant thing afterwards."

Aela grimaced. "Farkas is right. We can worry about how to destroy that thing after we deal with these idiots.

"Now!" the old priest yelled shrilly. "Lay down your weapons and surrender! You will be judged for your heresy against Peryite and then executed!"

"He really knows how to make it appealing doesn't he?" Aela muttered.

Serana stepped forward, towards the cultists. Despite themselves, they all flinched.

"Hate to disappoint you, old man," she said threateningly, and even her friends leaned away from the menace in her voice, "but the man I love is in need of my help right now, and I'm not about to let a couple of weaklings stand in my way."

The shrivelled old man quivered in fear, but still screamed: "Kill them!"

The cultists surged forward, and Serana's friends ran to meet them.

Serana was right about the cultists being weak. Aela, Vilkas and Farkas fought as a pack, fending off the multitudes of blows with ease and delivering fatal ones in return. As for Serana, she strode determinedly through the crowd, cutting down anyone in her way as she headed straight towards the elderly priest and a few other mages attempting to cast some sort of spell. She was so focused on her target she didn't even notice Aleiane following close behind her, using her dagger to hamstring anyone attempting to attack Serana.

When the mages noticed her approaching, they paled and redoubled their efforts to cast whatever magic it was they were trying to accomplish. It almost seemed as if they were feeding their magicka to one mage in particular.

The shriveled old man tried to stop her as she neared, launching a fireball at her, but she ducked under it and before he could try anything else, stabbed him through the eye, piercing his brain. He keeled over with a final gasp and Serana stepped over him.

Another of the mages broke off whatever he was trying to do as she neared, but this time she was faster than him, and an ice spike sprouted from his throat. He fell backwards gurgling.

As she neared the next mage, Serana could see now that a large fireball was forming in between the hands of the mage the others were feeding magicka to, their eyes closed in concentration, and Serana realized with a jolt that the spell was already larger than normal and was still growing.

She tried to rush towards the mage, a woman, but every time she tried to get closer, a mage broke off from the ritual and attacked, forcing her to waste time killing them.

By the time the only mage left was the one casting the spell, the fireball was the size of a wagon wheel. But as Serana watched, it shrunk down to the size of a normal fireball. This one though, glowed like a miniature sun, and seemed much, much denser. Serana knew it would be very, very bad if she let that spell be cast.

She lunged at the mage, but as she did, the woman opened her eyes and her arms shot out in the direction of where Aela and the twins were fighting. Serana realized with horror that she wasn't close enough to reach the woman and stop her.

But Aleiane appeared out of nowhere, shoving the woman's arms upwards. And not a second too soon. The incredibly dense fireball flew upwards at an incredible speed, zooming towards the top of the chamber. It crashed against the ceiling and exploded with a resounding boom.

Cracks spread across the ceiling from the point of impact, an ominous groaning filling the air. Large chunks of stone began falling.

Serana cursed and stabbed the female mage, sinking her dagger into the woman's chest.

"Aela!" she cried. "We need to get out of here!"

Aela looked up and immediately agreed. She motioned to Vilkas and Farkas and they ran towards Serana.

Serana turned towards Aleiane. "Aleiane, we don't have much time. Do you know which tunnel leads towards the Arcanex?"

Aleiane didn't hesitate. "That way," she said, pointing at the northernmost entrance to the room, opposite the way they had come in.

"Let's go then," Serana said as she helped Aleiane to her feet. They ran towards the tunnel, the three Companions close behind, as the entire room shook and rumbled.

They barely made it. As the last of them made it through, the entire chamber collapsed behind them underneath tons of rock.

"No going back now," Serana observed dryly. "Come on, we're almost there."

The others nodded and they hurried down the tunnel.

* * *

\- Bthardamz Arcanex -

Everyone stumbled as the entire room shook. Valon barely kept his balance, and Elanin had to grab part of the wall to avoid falling down. As the shaking subsided, the rest of the Thalmor all climbed back to their feet.

"What in Oblivion was that?" Valon growled. "You!" he snapped at a Thalmor soldier. "Go find out what the hell those idiot cultists are up to!"

The soldier saluted before dashing off into one of the secret tunnels.

Elanin turned towards Valon. "Maybe we should relocate outside the ruins for now? Until we know that the place isn't going to come crashing down on our heads?"

"Hmm...maybe you're right," Valon said thoughtfully. "And while we're waiting, we can send a message to notify Herself of our success."

"What about him?" Elanin asked, motioning in the direction of Aeros.

"Him?" Valon laughed. "He's not going anywhere." He turned to look contemptuously at the Nord. "Not in the condition-" The words died in his mouth.

Right in front of them, Aeros was slowly climbing to his feet.

Aeros scrubbed the bile from his mouth with the back of his hand, and picked his swords up from next to him. The pain was subsiding, and more of his strength was returning with every second. Inside of himself, he could feel the infection dissipating, fading away into nothing.

"What?!" Valon shouted incredulously. Elanin backed away fearfully. "How…?"

Aeros stood. He grinned savagely at them. "Never underestimate my friends," he said as he stepped towards them.

"Kill him!" Elanin screamed. Archers poured out of the tunnel entrances, filling up the ledges above him. The room was filled with the sound of dozens of twanging bowstrings as a hail of arrows rained down towards them. Aeros smiled mockingly.

"TIID KLO UL!"

The arrows slowed to almost a complete stop, creeping through the air at a snail's pace. Aeros stepped out from underneath the deadly black cloud of missiles, moving to within a few paces of Valon and Elanin. He willed his Thu'um to end, and time returned to normal.

Behind him, arrows clattered against the ground, their target gone. Valon and Elanin stumbled backwards as Aeros seemingly materialized in front of them.

Above them, a battle cry rang out, causing all three of them to turn and look. Vilkas and Farkas charged out of a tunnel, right into a cluster of archers. As the brothers set about causing chaos, Serana and Aela quickly followed, emerging out of the tunnel along with a young Breton girl, all three joining the fray.

Aeros smiled in relief at seeing his friends unharmed. As he turned back towards Valon and Elanin though, his smile disappeared, replaced by a cold fury.

"I've got a problem," he said quietly, the calm tone of his voice unnerving the two Thalmor far more than anything else could have. "My problem isn't that you tried to kill me. I've gotten used to death threats and attempts on my life. My problem isn't even that you also tried to kill my friends, although that really pisses me off."

Up above, only a handful of archers remained, and they were all either running for their lives or had dropped their weapons and were surrendering.

Valon sneered, trying to hide his fear. "So what? You're upset that we put a few worthless Nords at risk-"

"My problem is that you endangered all of Skyrim," Aeros snapped, the calm mask gone, his eyes blazing, and a palpable feeling of fury radiating from him. "You endangered all the people of Skyrim, not just the Nords, simply for your own hunger for power, for a little bit of extra influence back in the Summerset Isles."

Elanin spoke then, hoping to stop the inevitable. "I wouldn't do anything rash if I were you, Dragonborn," she said imperiously. "We are Inquisitors of the Aldmeri Dominion, and any harm that befalls us will-"

"FUS!"

Elanin stumbled backwards into a wall from the force of Aeros's Shout, shaking in terror. She had told Valon this was a bad idea, that they should have brought more soldiers, or just killed the man outright instead of carting him back to Summerset Isles. But he had convinced her that the plan would work, that Aeros Dragons-Bane would be helpless at their feet. Looking at him now, Aeros looked anything but helpless.

Valon was not so easily cowed. "I will not grovel for my life like a worm!" he snarled, lunging forward, his sword aimed at Aeros's heart.

Aeros parried it easily, his anger giving him renewed strength. "That's good," he said fiercely. "Because I wasn't intending on letting you live."

The two of them traded several more blows, before with a powerful swing, Aeros knocked Valon's sword out of his hand, sending it flying through the air. As the elf stood there defenseless and wide-open, Aeros swung both swords with all his strength, the blades nothing more than blurs. His arms came to a stop, crossed over each other. For a second, nothing happened, and neither Aeros or Valon moved. Then Valon collapsed to his knees as two deep slashes appeared on his chest in an **X**, cutting straight through his armor like it didn't even exist, all the way to the bone.

Valon stared blankly at Aeros, his eyes not seeing, before he fell over dead.

Aeros stared grimly at the Thalmor's corpse, before turning his attention towards Elanin. She screamed in terror.

Serana and the others joined Aeros after they had finished off the last of the Thalmor. He stood in front of Elanin's body but turned as they approached. When they stopped in front of him, he pulled Serana to him and kissed her.

After a moment or two, he let go of her and stepped back to examine all four of them, making sure none of them were injured.

"I'm glad none of you are hurt," he said with a relieved laugh. "I was worried when you all fell down those holes. But what exactly happened down there? Not too long ago, the entire place shook like in an earthquake."

Serana explained what had happened after they had fallen, and how they had escaped. She also explained about the giant chamber with the cultists, and how they had found out Orchendor had transferred the conduit to the demonic growth.

Aeros rubbed his shoulder when she was done. "Well, that explains a few things," he muttered. He told them about Valon's poisoned dagger and how he had been infected.

"That chamber collapsing must have destroyed the conduit," he reasoned. "After the quake, I felt my strength coming back. Hopefully, that means the plague is gone from the rest of Skyrim as well."

He looked at Aleiane, who was hanging back uncertainly from everyone else. "Your name is Aleiane?" he asked kindly. Aleiane nodded, avoiding meeting his eyes. Aeros smiled. "Well then, thank you Aleiane, for helping my friends."

Aleiane blushed but looked up at him. "I'm glad I could help," she said. "I've wanted to stop them for a long time but I didn't know how."

"Where's your family Aleiane?" Aeros asked. "Were they with the cultists? If not, we'll gladly help you find them, for everything you've done."

She shook her head sadly. "No, they weren't with the cultists. My village was on the border of Skyrim and High Rock. It was infected by the cultists, and my parents died from the disease. I don't have a family anymore…"

Aeros looked pained. "You don't have anywhere to stay?" he asked.

Aleiane looked close to tears, and shook her head, but before she could say anything, Aela spoke up.

"Of course she does," the huntress said. They all turned to look at her. "She has a home with the Companions, if she wants to join that is. I've seen her with a dagger, and we could use that sort of talent."

Aleiane's face lit up. "Absolutely!" she said, ecstatic. "I'd love to join the Companions!" They all smiled at her happiness.

"If that's the case," Aeros said with a smile, "we better get out of here. I want to make sure this plague really did disappear."

The others agreed and they found the lift that would take them back to the surface. As they piled in, Serana leaned in and whispered to Aela:

"Don't think I didn't realize what you did," she said softly. "Aleiane's talent with a dagger has nothing to do with it. You just don't want everyone to realize you're actually a kind person underneath that furry hide of yours."

Aela smiled and whispered back: "Not a word to the others, or I'll make you pay for the rest of your life."

They both laughed as the lift ascended, to the bemusement of the men.

* * *

\- Whiterun -

"To the Harbinger and the Circle! For saving the day once more!"

The Companions cheered, before gulping down their drinks and proceeding to celebrate with complete abandon. The halls of Jorrvaskr were even more boisterous than normal, filled with the songs and laughter of the Companions, along with more than a few residents of Whiterun.

After Aeros and the others had exited from Bthardamz, they had immediately set off for Whiterun, picking up their horses along the way. Luckily for them, they found several of the Thalmor's horses not far from the lift, so Aleiane wasn't forced to double up with someone. It took them half a day just to reach the city, but that was mainly because they weren't riding at such a breakneck pace as they had been before.

When they had arrived at the city gates, the guards waved them in without issue, but once inside, they found the streets completely deserted.

"Where is everyone?" Aeros asked aloud. "It's normally much more lively."

"It was like this when we left," Vilkas said uneasily. "Everyone was staying inside to avoid being infected. We were some of the only ones to still be moving about, with the exception of the healers."

"Then did the plague not stop?" Serana asked with dread. If it had all been for nothing…

"Come on, let's go check Jorrvaskr," Aeros said, picking up his pace. They all followed him up the steps leading to the Wind District and towards the hall of the Companions. There was still no sign of anyone, not even Heimskr.

Aeros opened the doors hesitantly, not sure what he was going to find. He was greeted by a roar of noise as the people of Whiterun cheered at the sight of him and his companions. Multiple sets of arms grabbed them and pulled them inside.

It turned out that around the same time Aeros started to recover from the disease, so did most of the residents of Whiterun who had been infected. Some of them had taken longer to recover, or hadn't fully done so yet, but they had all realized that Aeros and the Circle must have succeeded in finding the source of the outbreak.

When a guard had spotted the six of them riding towards the city, he had spread the news, and the people of Whiterun had decided to throw a party to thank them for what they had done.

Practically everyone in Whiterun was gathered now in Jorrvaskr, with the exception of the few still too weak to attend, and a few of the healers, filling the place almost to the bursting point. Even the Jarl was there, and after Aeros had explained what had happened, he thanked him for stopping the threat, and promised to pass on the story of what happened to the other Jarls as soon as he could.

The party waned on throughout the night, the people only getting drunker and rowdier. At one point, Serana broke free from the crowd and noticed Aeros slip outside. Puzzled, she followed him, refusing offers to drink with people and promising to tell her side of the story again later.

She found him leaning against the wall, arms resting on the stone as he stared out over the White River, the water glistening silver in the moonlight. The Throat of the World loomed upwards, a spear towards the heavens. Serana almost thought she could make out small dark shapes flying around the peak.

"Aeros?" she asked. "What's wrong? You're missing the party." She had spent enough time with the man to realize something was troubling him, and that he would rather keep it to himself rather than burden someone else with his problems. Which was why Serana didn't give him a choice in the matter.

Aeros was silent for a long time, until Serana thought she was going to have to force it out of him. She loved him, but sometimes he could be a stubborn fool. Before she had to resort to anything drastic though, Aeros let out a huge sigh.

"I contacted Sybille back in Solitude," he said. "She said that everyone who was infected in Solitude has also recovered, with no ill effects."

"That's good to hear," Serana said patiently. "Now what's the matter?"

He didn't say anything for several more seconds, and Serana had to resist the urge to smack him.

"I've been thinking about the Thalmor back in Bthardamz," he confessed at last.

"What about the Thalmor?" Serana said quizzically. "We killed them all remember? They're not going to cause any more trouble."

Aeros shook his head. "It's not that. It's the role they had in all of this, helping the cultists, spreading the plague…"

"So?"

"So it's the fact that they…" He gazed up at the night sky as he searched for the right words, the stars twinkling back down at him. "It's the fact that they were willing to put all of Skyrim at risk just to get to me."

"Ah, so that's what's been bothering you," said Serana, finally understanding what was troubling him.

He clenched his fists unconsciously. "I decided a long time ago that I would try to protect Skyrim as much as I could. Whether that meant ending the civil war or defeating Alduin, I did it. I've made a lot of enemies along the way, but it's never been more than I can handle. But what do I do when not just the people I care about are put in harm's way, but the entire province? How can I protect anyone then?"

Serana forced Aeros to turn around and look at her. He resisted at first, but eventually gave in and turned around. She pulled him in close and kissed him deeply. When they finally broke apart after several long moments, she smiled warmly at him.

"The same way you always have," she answered. "With your friends at your side. Now come on! I heard Njada and Athis are at it again, and supposedly even Jarl Balgruuf is taking part in the brawl."

Aeros laughed. "Now this I _have _to see!"

She grabbed his hand and pulled him back towards Jorrvaskr and the party, and he followed without resistance, leaving his troubled thoughts behind out on the stone patio, underneath the night sky.

* * *

Author's Notes: And this marks the end of the Blood and Pestilence arc! Valon and Elanin have been defeated, Aleiane has found a new home, and Jorrvaskr rings with the sounds of merriment!

Originally, this was part of Ch.5, but I decided to split it in half so that I could spend more time on certain aspects of both chapters, and add in the ending that I did.

I'm thinking for my next arc, it will be a recounting of Aeros's search for the Aetherium Forge from Lost to the Ages. No doomsday plots to end the world or kill all of Skyrim, no evil villains trying to take over the world, just a lot of deadly machinery and a lot more humor. Hopefully, at least.

Also, I've received a few Pm's about how my story seems extremely similar to ss3dj's. First off, I want to say that I've read his Legends of the Dovahkiin story and absolutely love it. It was actually what convinced me to write Tales of the Dragonborn. Unfortunately I didn't realize until some of you sent me messages, that I had ripped off parts of his story. I've talked with him about it and apologized, and thus far he's been understanding. It won't happen again in the future, but if you have any concerns or issues, make sure to send either me or ss3dj a message and hopefully we can clarify the issue.

Characters:

Njada Stonearm: A member of the Companions. When you first enter Jorrvaskr, you witness Njada in a brawl with Athis, in which she proceeds to beat him in glorious fashion.

Athis: A member of the Companions, Athis tends to get into fights with Njada quite often, which he frequently loses. He is also the only Dunmer member of the Companions, with the possible exception of the Dragonborn.

Dragon Language:

Tiid Klo Ul = Time Sand Eternity (Slow Time Shout)

Fus = Force (First word of the Unrelenting Force Shout)


	24. Lost to the Ages 1

Lost to the Ages 1

"What about this one?" asked Jordis.

Serana glanced up from the chest she was going through and frowned at the Nordic battle axe Jordis was holding up. It was still in fairly good shape, with a razor sharp edge and polished surface. The only flaw was what looked suspiciously like dried blood on the blade.

"No," she said dismissively and went back to rifling through the chest. How on Nirn Aeros managed to fit so much stuff in one chest, she had no idea. It was like the thing never ran out of room.

"Come on, Serana!" Aeros complained. "I got that from a bandit chief at Lost Knife Hideout!"

The three of them had spent the last day or so going through the armory downstairs. Aeros had a bad habit of collecting weapons and armor as mementos from difficult fights, and his collection had continued to grow the longer he spent in Skyrim. That is, until Serana and Jordis had decided it was time to get rid of most of it, much to Aeros' disgruntlement.

You would have thought that as the Dragonborn and someone who had saved Skyrim and the world multiple times, he would be shown a bit more respect, but that hadn't stopped Serana and Jordis from bullying and cajoling him into helping, however unwilling he was. Then again, it was hard to be in awe of someone who just the week before had accidentally given himself a tail and started speaking in limericks. Aeros _still _wasn't sure how that had happened.

"Okay, tell you what." Serana said with a wink at Jordis. "If you can tell me the bandit chief's name, you can keep the axe."

"That's it?" Aeros asked. He grinned confidently. "That's easy! His name was...uh...well, I'm sure he had a name..." he muttered, his brow furrowed in thought. "I just never found out...probably because he was trying to cut me in half..."

Serana and Jordis laughed. "Sorry, but that's not the correct answer," Serana said teasingly. "Thanks for playing!"

Jordis tossed the axe on top of the growing pile near the stairs.

"Since when does the Dragonborn not get to keep his own stuff?" Aeros grumbled.

"Since the Dragonborn started collecting useless crap," Serana replied. She pulled out several books and set them in the pile.

"It's not useless stuff!" Aeros protested.

"Really? Let's see, you've got enough weapons and armor to supply the Legion, despite the fact that you never use anything besides swords, all ten Dragon Priest Masks, what must be every single claw key in Skyrim, and two dozen mysterious gems that you don't even know what they're for. Am I forgetting anything, Jordis?"

"Enough books for an entire library," said Jordis absently as she examined a dwarven warhammer.

"Hey! Some of those weapons are powerful artifacts! They're not just something you entrust to your average soldier or sell to some merchant. And I earned those masks; those priests weren't exactly a cakewalk."

"And the books?" Serana asked.

"I like to read," Aeros said simply. "I just don't have an opportunity to do so that often.

"Like reading one of your multiple copies of 'The Lusty Argonian Maid?" Serana asked with a raised eyebrow.

He at least had the grace to look embarrassed. "It's not like that's the only book I have," he muttered evasively. "I also have other series, like 'The Mystery of Talara.' or 'A Dance in Fire.'"

Serana looked at him suspiciously, but luckily, he was saved from further interrogation by Jordis, as she pulled something out of another chest.

"What is this?" she exclaimed, as she held a circlet in her hands. She examined it admiringly. "It's beautiful."

The circlet was a deep golden color, and gleamed as if freshly polished. Inset into the surface were several electric blue gems. The gems practically radiated magicka, and seemed to glow in the faint light of the torches.

Jordis handed the circlet to Serana who looked at it admiringly, holding it up to the light. "It seems more like a crown than a circlet," she mused.

"It is," said Aeros, causing both of the woman to jump. They had been so absorbed in examining the circlet that they had completely forgotten he was there. He was sitting on one of the chests they had managed to empty, staring at the crown with a look of recognition, and perhaps a trace of nostalgia. "Gods, I haven't seen that in a long time."

"You remember where you got this?" Serana asked in surprise. He tended to remember his more hard-earned spoils, like the dragon masks, or the claws used to open the Nordic puzzle doors, but the stories behind most of his other trophies tended to be vague recollections, general ideas of where or from whom he had gotten them, like with the Lost Knife Hideout bandit chief.

Aeros smiled in amusement, knowing exactly what had been going through Serana's head. It wasn't like he was absent-minded or anything. It was just that he got into a _lot _of fights and had explored countless caves and hideouts. Remembering every single encounter he had been in would have been impossible.

"How could I not?" he said with a chuckle. "That's one adventure I won't ever forget."

Serana and Jordis looked at him with such eager looks he had to laugh. They tried to hide it, but the two of them looked like children begging for a bedtime story.

He stood, stretching as his muscles protested after being in a kneeling position for so long. "Come on," he said. "Let's go upstairs and I'll tell you two all about it. It's not the kind of tale you can tell in just a couple minutes, and I could use a good glass of Alto Wine."

Once they were all seated around the kitchen table, Aeros with a glass of wine next to him, Serana finally asked, unable to wait any longer, "Alright Aeros, where'd you get this?" She indicated the circlet. "And why'd you call it a crown?"

"Because it is," Aeros said mysteriously. When Serana glared at him, he grinned. "It's called the Aetherial Crown, made from Aetherium."

Jordis frowned in thought. "Aetherium...I've heard of that somewhere."

"No doubt from the pile of books we just went through downstairs. 'The Aetherium Wars' I think it's called. I guess you could say that's where the whole adventure began. It was maybe half a year before I met you, Serana…

* * *

\- Arkngthamz -

Aeros shifted the dragonplate armor on his body uncomfortably. He had only forged it a week ago, and he still wasn't used to its weight. It was a lot heavier than any of his previous sets of armor, even his Nordic or ebony armor, but it was better at deflecting attacks so he supposed he couldn't complain too much. Although he thought it could maybe do with a couple of enchantments, to better protect him against magic.

He wasn't sure why exactly, but he had decided to explore this place, Arkngthamz, after reading a book he had found in the Bards College, 'The Aetherium Wars' or something like that. It was nothing more than sheer curiosity that had brought him here, but he had an odd sense that there was more than just that behind it.

Still, this place was even more crumbly than most dwarven ruins. As he proceeded along a tunnel that sloped downwards, he thought he heard something. It sounded vaguely like a voice warning him to turn back. He stopped and listened intently, but when he didn't hear anything else, he kept going.

As he ducked underneath a stone pillar that leaned drunkenly across the hallway, he heard the voice again.

"Please, turn back...before it's too late," the disembodied voice moaned.

This time, Aeros was sure he hadn't imagined the voice, but instead of turning around and leaving, it only made him more curious about this place. He descended further into the ruins.

* * *

"_Wait," Serana interrupted. "You heard a ghostly, disembodied voice warning you to go back, and you decided to keep going?"_

_Jordis sighed ruefully. "My Thane…"_

_Aeros glared at the two of them over the top of his glass. "Do you want to hear the story or not?" he demanded._

"_Sorry, sorry," Serana said placatingly. "It's just...you never change, do you?"_

"_Like I was saying," Aeros said, clearing his throat, "I kept going further along the tunnel..."_

* * *

As Aeros stepped around the wreckage of a Dwarven Sphere, a tremor shook the place, causing Aeros to lean against a wall for support and making dust rain down from the ceiling. When the shaking stopped, Aeros straightened.

"Alright," he muttered to himself. "I'll just see what's in the next chamber and then turn around, before this whole place comes down on my head."

He emerged into what he first took for a large cavern. The cavern was separated by a small gully, a stream moving swiftly through the cave, bordered by sheer cliffs. It wasn't until he stood on the edge of the cliff and looked up that he realized he was actually at the bottom of a steep crevasse. Far overhead, he could see the brightness of day.

He examined the gap separating the two sides of the chamber. The cliffs looked too steep to climb, and it was too far to jump. The only option was to cross a narrow bridge made out of fallen pillars and pipes. On the other side, he could see what was left of a dwarven hallway.

A woman's voice sighed right behind him. "What are you still doing here?" the voice asked.

Aeros practically jumped out of his skin. He whirled around and found himself facing the ghostly image of a Nord woman, wearing steel armor and with a strung bow slung over her shoulder.

"Let me guess. You're here for the treasure, aren't you?" the ghost asked knowingly. "Just like all the others."

It took Aeros a few seconds to slow his heartbeat back down, and actually be able to talk.

"Shor's blood," he muttered; he felt like a troll had just punched him in the chest. He cleared his throat and addressed the ghost. "Hate to disappoint you, but I've never heard of any treasure," he said with a shake of his head. "I was just curious about this place. Who are you?"

The ghost actually looked surprised that he wasn't here for whatever treasure was supposedly in this place, but she got over it quickly. She introduced herself. "The name's Katria. I am-" she grimaced and corrected herself. "I _was _an adventurer. Raided ruins like this for nigh on twenty years. I was on the trail of something big. It led me here, and...I didn't make it."

"Nice to meet you, Katria," Aeros said friendlily. "My name's Aeros." He frowned in thought. "Your name sounds familiar," he mused, trying to remember.

"Oh," Katria frowned. "You read the book didn't you? 'The Aetherium Wars?'"

Aeros nodded. "That was it! There was a dedication to you in the beginning, something along the lines of 'to Katria, my Friend and Colleague.'"

Katria snorted angrily. "That was my theory, you know. My research. My life's work. All of it, lost! Stolen by my own damn apprentice! That's how I ended up here. I can't rest. Not until I find the Forge, until I prove that it was my discovery. Mine, not his!" She sighed. "But...it's hopeless. I died here, just like all the others. Which is why I'm telling you to turn back. Turn back before you become the next victim."

"Don't worry," said Aeros confidently. "I can handle myself just fine."

"Sure, that's what they all say," she muttered. "Then again," she said as she appraised Aeros and the armor and weapons he was carrying. "Maybe you can handle yourself. You definitely don't look like your average two-bit adventurer."

She shook her head. "I'm not going to talk you out of it, am I? I know, I know. I was just like you, once. And I can tell you're not going to give up. Well, if you want to reach the summit, you're going to need some help. You...want a hand?"

Aeros grinned. "Sure, I wouldn't mind the company."

Katria returned the grin, excited at the opportunity for another adventure. "All right. Lead on, then."

The two of them began edging across the makeshift bridge, careful not to slip and fall. It wasn't that high, but even so, Aeros wasn't in the mood for a swim. Katria gave him some commentary on Arkngthamz.

"It wasn't always like this," she said as they made their way across. "Best-preserved dwarven city I'd ever laid eyes on. And then…the earthquake hit. Now…you'd be lucky to find a single room intact."

"Is that how you died?" Aeros asked, keeping an eye on the edge of the column to make sure he didn't slip.

She nodded ruefully. "Yeah. I was making my way towards the summit when I...fell. The ground just...opened up. Even so, I almost made it...another foot or two to the side, and the water would have broken my fall. But...nothing I could do."

Aeros stepped off of the first half of the bridge onto a small platform or pillar of some sort. Lying on the ground was a broken body, one that looked remarkably like Katria.

She nodded when she saw where he was looking. "...This is where I ended up. It was...quite the fall. Grab my journal will you? We're going to need it." She turned away.

Aeros nodded in understanding, and discreetly searched Katria's body. He found the journal in a pouch on her hip.

He joined Katria on the other side of the bridge. "I found your journal," he said, showing her the red, leatherbound book.

"Good. We don't need it until later, so for now we should keep moving. Come on."

Aeros followed the ghostly form of Katria down the pipe-filled hallway. It only took a few seconds before they emerged into a flooded room. Aeros stared at the balcony at the far end of the room, and the large metal fence separating it from where they were.

"How are we supposed to get over there?" he said aloud. "I don't see any stairs or anything we could use to get over there.

Katria laughed. "You just need to think outside the box," she said. "Watch." She leaped onto a large, nearby pipe and ran up it. As she neared the landing, she jumped off of the pipe and landed gracefully.

Aeros grinned. _Running up pipes and along walls?_ he thought with amusement. _I didn't know we were training to be assassins_. He followed Katria's lead and soon landed next to her.

Up ahead, they could hear a clanking and whirring sound, along with the sound of numerous steam-powered pistons. As they walked through a set of doors, Katria pointed out a very strange looking device, that was spinning up and down along an axle.

"See that thing? Dwarves called them 'Kinetic Resonators.' Don't see them very often, least not among the clans in Skyrim. Just hit them and they'll...do whatever it is they're supposed to do."

Aeros looked dubious, but decided to take her word for it. They found the doors leading further in closed tight, with one of the 'Kinetic Resonators' nearby. Having no better option, Aeros smacked the thing with his sword.

There was a pealing sound as the dragonbone collided with the dwarven metal, but the thing spun upwards towards the top of its axle. Immediately, the doors swung open.

Aeros regarded it with a bemused expression, but Katria pulled him out of his thoughts. "Come on," she urged. "Before it closes again."

He followed her through the doors and they continued upwards. They hadn't even made it a few steps when they heard a scuffling noise at the top of the steps. They both dropped instinctively into a crouch.

"Falmer up ahead," Katria whispered. "Damn things are like flies. No matter how many you kill…"

Aeros grunted in agreement. He hated the damn things. He felt bad for them, given that they used to be the mythical snow elves, but at the same time, it was a little hard to feel sympathy for something that constantly tried to drop rocks on your head or feed you to its giant pet bugs.

The two of them crept to the top of the landing and studied the area at the bottom of the steps. This section of the crevice was filled with rubble: half collapsed walls, shattered stone blocks, and stone columns leaning drunkenly out over the edge. In one corner though, was a large Falmer hut. Skulking about were maybe four or five Falmer, snarling to each other in their guttural, rasping language.

Aeros grimaced. "Looks like there's no way around," he said with a sigh. "We'll have to go through them."

Katria nodded and pulled her bow off of her shoulder, nocking an arrow. Aeros wasn't quite sure how a ghost was supposed to be able to actually hit things, but he had been at the receiving end of ghosts' attacks often enough to know not to worry about it.

Aeros unsheathed one of his swords, holding it at the ready as he prepared a spell in his other hand. Once the spell was fully charged, he unleashed it, shooting a fireball straight at the nearest Falmer. Even as it left his hand, Aeros was already moving, charging at another of the Falmer.

The Falmer snarled at him and tried to hack him in two with its sword. Aeros parried it, and while its sword was occupied, gave the twisted thing a faceful of flames. It shrieked and dropped its sword and shield as it clutched at the painful burns. While it was distracted, Aeros stepped in and ran his sword through its chest. The Falmer abruptly stopped shrieking and collapsed with a shudder.

Aeros turned and found a Falmer aiming its bow at him, its arrow pointed right at his head. As he threw himself to the side in an attempt to dodge the projectile, a ghostly arrow embedded itself in the Falmer's chest, right where its heart was.

Aeros glanced to the side and saw Katria already nocking another arrow. He nodded in thanks before throwing himself at the next enemy.

The fight only lasted several more seconds, before the five Falmer lay dead on the floor.

"Well, that's over," Katria said. She wasted no time in pushing on. "This way."

They made their way past the Falmer hut and up a slope. Hundreds of gallons of water rushed past underneath, plummeting down below to the stream. Several natural stone bridges criss-crossed over the tumultuous water, leading higher up.

"Quite a place, isn't it?" Katria said as they made their way across one of the bridges. "It was even more impressive before it all fell to pieces." There was a wistful tone to her voice.

They made their way across the bridges without any trouble. They encountered a few more Falmer, but they didn't pose too much of a problem. They ran into a slight delay when Katria pointed out a sealed door with a chest behind it. Aeros paused and spent several minutes staring at the door and the lever just behind it, trying to figure out a way to open it. Finally, he had to admit defeat, and they kept going.

They fought through another chamber of Falmer and Chaurus, although Aeros had to fall back a couple times and cast a spell to rid himself of the Chaurus's poison, since it burned like acid and tried to eat through his armor.

After that, they proceeded up a small ramp and emerged back in the main section of the ravine, although this time they were far higher than they had been before. Daylight was only a few dozen feet above them, sunlight bathing the entire area.

"We've reached the summit," Katria explained. "From here, we just follow that tunnel over there and then we'll reach the final section of the ruins."

The two of them began picking their way along the ledges that encircled the chamber, since the center of the cavern was nothing but a giant hole leading straight to the bottom.

As they neared the tunnel entrance though, Katria noticed something glinting on a nearby log that was jutting out over empty space.

"Hey, there's my bow! There, out on the log. Wondered what happened to it."

Aeros decided not to ask how she could have her bow as a ghost if it hadn't been with her body. Still, he decided to not just leave it there, for anyone to happen upon. If he could, he would return it to Katria's body.

Of course, that was before he actually hopped on the log. Only once he was actually balancing on it, reaching for Katria's bow, did he realized how precarious his position was. He hurriedly grabbed the bow and retreated back to solid ground.

Katria smiled in appreciation. "Thank you. That bow means a lot to me. Now come on, we're almost there."

They made their way along the passageway, a tall, wide pathway roughly hewn out of the rock. They emerged out into a large grotto. The pathway continued along a ledge, passing under several carved arches. Off to the side was a large pool of water, fed by a waterfall that spilled out of the rocks. Scattered here and there were several broken pipes or dwarven pumps, along with the remains of stone carvings. One entire end of the cave was taken up by some sort of structure. It looked almost like a building that was partially encased in stone.

"Here we go…" Katria breathed in excitement.

Aeros hurried down the pathway, eager to see what was at the end. He was stopped though by Katria.

Hold up," she said. "We...need to talk. There was one thing about this place that I didn't tell you about. This is it." She pointed to the odd structure taking up a large portion of the wall.

"We need to be careful of a wall?" Aeros asked in confusion.

Katria shook her head. "It's not a wall. It's a lock. A 'Tonal Lock' to be specific. Simple, and very, very deadly."

"Deadly how?" Aeros asked in consternation.

"It's not your average lock. See the resonators up there? Strike them in the right order, and the doors should open. Get it wrong...and well you saw what happened when I tried it."

"Wait...you mean the earthquake?" Aeros asked in disbelief. "This thing can cause an entire earthquake if you get the combo wrong?"

Katria nodded. "Yeah...I thought I was prepared for anything. How the hell do you prepare for a damned earthquake? And that was just one trap! Who knows what else this thing is capable of?"

Well, that's just one more thing that want to kill me," Aeros muttered. "Only difference is this one has a lot more ways to do it. Any advice?" he asked Katria.

She thought about it. "Hmm...well, I wrote the first two parts of the combo down in my journal. As for the other three, maybe one of our predecessors has a clue."

Aeros looked at the abundance of skeletons and dead adventurers littering the ground. Some of them had a multitude of arrows sticking out of them, a few were decapitated, and one was even pinned to a stone arch by a large ballista bolt.

"These Dwemer really knew how to have fun, didn't they?" Aeros said sarcastically. He sighed in resignation. "Alright, let's see how many more tricks this thing has left."

Unfortunately, the five "Tonal Resonators" or whatever they were, were way up high, and Aeros didn't have any arrows to use with Katria's bow. It was a good thing he had such a large arsenal of destruction magic.

After consulting with Katria's journal, Aeros hit the first two resonators with some well-placed firebolts. A scrap of paper near a recently deceased adventurer provided him with the third. As each resonator was activated, there was a bell-like tolling as the niche it was in was illuminated with green light and the giant metal head at the top of the wall spouted a blast of steam.

Aeros eyed the remaining two resonators. If he hit the right one, he would essentially solve the puzzle. If he hit the wrong one, it was very likely he would die a painful death. But he had no idea which was the correct one.

Finally, he decided to just take a guess. Right as the firebolt left his hand, Katria spoke up, trying to help him.

"These things typically form a pattern, so if you follow the same order you did for the first two, then...Ah, crap."

The firebolt hit the resonator in the center. As it spun up, the statue blasted steam. And it eyes glowed red.

"Why do I have the feeling that's a bad thing?" Aeros asked nobody in particular.

He got his answer a second later, as two metal barred doors slid open, and out stepped a Dwarven Centurion Master.

"Shit," Aeros muttered. "I really hate these things."

* * *

Author's Notes: And here's the first part of Lost to the Ages. A word of warning, this arc isn't going to be anywhere near as long as the previous ones. More than likely, it'll just be three or four chapters, since for the most part, I'll be skipping the majority of the delving into the other three dwarven ruins. I might also include an encounter with Taron Dreth; I still have to figure out how I would put that in.

Characters:

Katria: A Nord ghost, she died while attempting to find the Aetherium Forge. She accompanies you as you gather the Aetherium Shards and attempt to enter the Forge. A bit of trivia: If you ever journey near the outside of Arngthamz before doing this quest, you might experience an earthquake. This is actually Katria getting the combo wrong for the Tonal Resonator.

Dragon Language: None used.


	25. Lost to the Ages 2

Lost to the Ages 2

"Shit. I really hate these things."

Gears whirled and spun as the Centurion advanced, each step a causing a dull thud. Steam billowed out of vents at the base of its neck, and its metal joints creaked. It looked at the two of them, and seemed to instinctively know that Aeros was the one who had tried to open the lock, and turned to face him. He could practically feel the malevolence directed at him. How a machine could radiate hatred towards him, he didn't know. What he _did _know however, was that several hundred pounds of heavy metal now wanted him dead.

He sighed. "This day just isn't going to get any better, is it?"

With a crashing sound, the dwarven automaton charged at him.

Aeros threw himself to one side and the Centurion crashed past. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Katria moving off to the side, already nocking an arrow. Meanwhile, the Centurion had turned back around to face him. Realizing the thing wasn't going to let him retreat to a safe distance and cast magic at it, he drew his swords.

He had dealt with enough Dwemer Animunculi in the past to know swinging away at the Centurion wasn't going to get him anywhere, besides becoming a very large bloodstain on the ground. He was going to have to aim for the joints and gaps in its armor plating.

This time as the Centurion attacked, he charged forward to meet it. He ducked underneath the giant battleaxe that it had in place of a left arm, swinging at the connecting gears and pistons in the hopes of disabling the arm. Unfortunately, his aim was off, and with a loud screech and burst of sparks, his blade skittered off.

Realizing too late that he had overextended himself, Aeros looked up just in time to see a very large, very painful warhammer hurtling towards him from the side. It smashed into the side of his chest and sent him hurtling through the air. He flew for about a dozen feet before crashing back against the ground.

"Aeros!" Katria yelled in worry.

Aeros groaned as he climbed back to his feet. "I'm fine, don't worry." he replied unsteadily. "It looks like this armor was worth the hassle of making after all. Although," he added with a wince, "I think that bastard still got a couple of my ribs." He glared at the Centurion.

Somehow, Aeros had managed to hang on to his swords during his short, painful flight. As soon as he had his feet back under him, he resumed the offensive. Parrying the battleaxe away with one sword, he stabbed with the other one at the arm with the warhammer.

He managed to hit his target this time, and the dragonbone sliced through the joint and gears, causing the entire arm below the elbow to lose function, now dragging towards the ground.

The Centurion staggered back a bit as it lost control of one of its limbs. It recovered quickly though and unleashed a blast of scalding steam directly at Aeros. He dropped underneath the blast with minimal burns. Before the Centurion could adjust, a well-aimed arrow from Katria lodged itself in the back of the automaton's head, forcing it to cease its breath attack.

Seeing that it was momentarily distracted, Aeros lashed out with both swords, cutting deep into the joints on the back of both legs. With a resounding crash, the Centurion dropped to its knees. As the construct struggled to stand, Aeros gripped one of his swords with both hands and stabbed it into the Centurion's chest, right where he knew the dynamo core was.

He heard the sound of something shattering and a shudder passed through the automaton. The gears on its body slowed to a stop, and steam ceased to come out of the vents. He jerked his sword free, and with a loud groan, the whole thing collapsed face first on the ground.

"Try putting yourself back together now," Aeros said with a sense of satisfaction.

As he sheathed his swords, he could feel the adrenaline draining away, which unfortunately resulted in him being made aware of just how damned much his ribs hurt. He groaned in pain and clutched at his side.

"Good job!" Katria said as she walked over. "I doubt that Centurion even knew what hit it-hey, are you all right?"

"Yeah, I'll be fine," Aeros muttered. "Just give me a second."

He fished out a large, red healing potion and uncorked it. Draining the entire bottle in one go, Aeros began casting several restoration spells. After several long minutes, he finally straightened.

"Whew," he sighed in relief. "Glad that's fixed! I forgot how hard those things can hit."

Katria eyed him with respect. "I'm impressed. Most adventurers would have been a broken, bloody mess after a hit like that, and yet you make it sound like it was no big deal."

Aeros shrugged. "Well, it's mostly due to this armor. If it was anything less than dragonplate, I probably _would _have a been a broken mess on the floor. And let's just say I have a _lot _of experience being hit by things bigger than me."

"Anyways, let's get this lock open. Now that we know exactly which one _not _to hit."

Katria nodded with a laugh. Aeros quickly conjured a firebolt and began activating the resonators.

As the last resonator shot up, the doors on either side of where the Centurion had been swung open.

"Let's see what's in store for us," Aeros said, walking through one of the doors.

There wasn't much behind the doors. Both sets of doors led to a small storage room. Racks lined up against the wall with various dwarven artifacts on them, and there were a couple of chests mounted on the wall.

As he looked around, Aeros noticed something lying on a small mounting. Curious, he picked it up. It was made up of a glowing blue material that Aeros had never seen before, and seemed to glow with its own inner light.

"So. It is real…" Katria breathed from beside him.

"What is?" Aeros asked curiously. "What is this?"

"Let me see it," Katria said, moving closer for a better view. Aeros angled it so she could see it better. "Huh…"

She examined it intensely for several moments, growing more and more animated.

"Look, on the edge here. This has been cut, precisely cut. If you had another piece about the same size...it would snap right in!" She was talking with increasing excitement. "I saw a drawing of this once. This shard, it's...it's part of a key. A key made of pure Aetherium! The key to the Forge!"

Aeros grinned. Katria's excitement was infectious. "So what now?" he asked.

"We have to find the other pieces, of course!" Katria said as if it were obvious. "There should be, hmm...three more. One for each of the four cities that worked on the Forge. I had a map, in my journal. That's where we should start."

Aeros pulled out her journal and flipped through the pages until he found the one she was talking about. It was a map of Skyrim, with five locations marked. One of the locations was approximately where Arkngthamz was located; the others were scattered around Skyrim.

"Okay," he said, nodding in understanding. "So we need to check these remaining locations for the other shards of the Key. Then what?"

"We still have to find the Forge itself, Katria replied. "I had a lead on that too."

"There's so much we need to do," she continued, almost to herself. She looked up at Aeros with a look of determination. "I'm going to head out and start tracking things down. Use my journal to make your way to these other locations, and see what you can find. We'll meet again, I'm sure of it."

She smiled in gratitude at him. "For the first time in a long while, I think I-_we_-may actually be able to do this! And...I owe it all to you. Thank you."

She began fading away, eventually disappearing entirely.

* * *

"_So what happened next?" Serana asked. "Knowing you, you immediately set off for the next location, didn't you?"_

_Aeros laughed. "You would be right. Like I said, Katria's excitement and enthusiasm was infectious, and I immediately headed off towards the next set of ruins."_

"_Of course," he chuckled ruefully, "that was easier said than done. Just finding some of the ruins marked on Katria's map took me several days."_

"_I remember now," Jordis said in realization. "There was a time period where you just disappeared for about three or four weeks, and no one knew where you had gone, not even us housecarls. Is that what you were doing?"_

"_You mean bushwhacking and dungeon crawling on my own?" Aeros asked with a grin. "Yes, that's what I was doing. I'm surprised all of you didn't organize a search party to go find me."_

"_There was a discussion about it," Jordis said mischievously. "But ultimately we decided not to. Some of us had heard rumors about a crazed Nord running around the woods and shouting things out of the sky. And none of us wanted to go out looking for your body, since chances were that it was either in the lair of something extremely dangerous or stuck down some dragon's throat."_

_Serana laughed at the affronted look on Aeros's face. "You know she's right, dear."_

"_Well-yeah, she probably is," Aeros grumbled. He returned to the matter at hand. "Anyways, the problem with finding dwarven ruins is that most people don't know where they are. I tried asking around for a while, in places like Markarth and Karthwasten, but didn't have much luck finding anything more specific than Katria's map, so I wound up following the Karth River upstream."_

* * *

Aeros looked at the bridge in consternation, checking Katria's journal to make sure he was in the right place. The journal did say "on the river," but it also mentioned that there was supposed to be a city here. He glanced around, and was surprised to see that there were pieces of rubble scattered here and there, enough to indicate that there might _have _actually been a city here once.

He shrugged and decided to investigate what was left, and see if he could find the shard. He hoped some other adventurer hadn't already carried it off or it hadn't been buried with the rest of the city.

He crossed the bridge, the Karth River tumulting below and made his way to the other side. Looking around, he saw that there was a dirt path leading to a small shrine of some sort . Seeing no better option, he followed it.

Reaching the shrine, he noticed a dwarven helmet and sword laid reverently on top, looking as if they hadn't been disturbed for many years. As he circled the shrine, he found a small flight of steps at the back, and at the top of the seps was another Aetherium Shard.

Aeros heaved a huge sigh of relief. He wasn't sure what he would have done if the shard hadn't been there. A voice sounded behind him.

"Hmph. Beat me to it, this time." He turned around and saw the ghostly image of Katria. As he stowed the shard in his pack with the other one, she nodded appreciatively. "Well, that's the second one; we're halfway there. I'll keep looking. See you soon!"

And just like that, she was gone.

Aeros smiled to himself. Two down, two to go. Hopefully, the next shard wouldn't be too difficult to find.

* * *

"_After that, I went looking for the next set of dwarven ruins. The third one was easy enough, since it was right along the road connecting Riften to Windhelm. I didn't even have to fight my way through, since Katria's journal said that the shard was inside of a small storage building off to the side. I met Katria there, and we managed to pick the lock on the door leading to the shard. After that, there was only one shard left. Katria was ecstatic and agreed to meet me at the last set of ruins."_

_He grimaced. "Unfortunately, these ruins were a lot more difficult to find, as they were built halfway up a damned mountain. I spent probably three or four days stumbling around in the freezing cold and fending off starving wolves and frost trolls, just trying to find the damned thing."_

_He shook his head. "I finally managed to find it, but that place was one of the creepiest dwemer ruins I've ever been in."_

"_How so?" Jordis asked, curious._

_Aeros shrugged. "Well, the first part was normal enough. There were a couple bandits using the place as a hideout, and they actually seemed a little smarter than your average bandits, even using some of the dwemer flame spouts to cook their food." He paused. "Actually, now that I think about it, one of the bandits actually seemed better dressed than the rest. Anyways, after that it was the usual automatons, Falmer and their giant pet insects, with the odd dwemer trap thrown in."_

"_So what was so odd about the place?" asked Serana._

"_It was when I was near the end of the ruins. I still hadn't found the shard yet…"_

* * *

As he cut down the last Falmer, Aeros sheathed his sword with a tired sigh. Dealing with bandits, Falmer, and dwarven machines one after the other was really tiring, especially after spending the last day fighting through a blizzard.

Now that he didn't have to worry about a Falmer blade slipping through his ribs, he was finally able to examine the room he was in. There wasn't much to see.

The room was square, about as long as it was wide. There were a few Falmer huts built in various corners, and a lone storage rack. There was a walled off area with a locked door, but after glancing through it, and seeing two Chaurus Reapers staring back at him with beady eyes, he decided he didn't really want to open the door.

Other than that, the main area of the room was taken up by a rectangular pool fed by waterfalls pouring down from above. There was a ledge extending outwards, but it didn't even reach halfway. At the opposite end of the pool was a metal fence. Only, as Aeros looked at it more closely, he realized that it was actually a drawbridge, and that the chamber extended further on the other side.

Looking around for a lever, Aeros found a pillar at the end of the ledge with a bright blue button on top. When he tried to press it however, his hand met with resistance, and he was unable to push it down.

_Great_, he thought. _Now what?_

As he stood there trying to figure out a way across, he realized all around him he could hear the sound of gears. It was a sound he had grown used to in dwarven ruins, and as a result he had automatically tuned it out. Listening now though, he realized something about the sound was off.

Curious, and hoping it would somehow solve his issue, Aeros approached the nearest set of gears, set into the side of a stone pillar. That was when he noticed something long and white jammed into it, preventing the gears from spinning.

_What the…_ he wondered, as he pulled the object free. As he did, he held it up to get a better look at it.

With a shout of surprise, he dropped the human leg bone, which fell to the floor with a clatter. Once he had recovered from his shock, he picked it back up.

_What the hell is a human leg bone doing stuck in a dwemer gear?_ he thought to himself. With a look of disgust, he tossed it to the side. With a sinking feeling, he realized that it probably wasn't sweet rolls stuck in the other gears.

As he moved around the room, he found two more stuck gears, with a skull and human spine jammed in them. He quickly removed them and chucked them.

Try as he might though, he couldn't find the last jammed gear, although he could hear it. He spent several minutes walking around the limited space of the room trying to find it. Finally, he noticed a churning motion under the water.

With a grimace, he lowered himself into the murky water until his head was submerged. Squinting through the water, he reached out and tugged on the object stuck in the gears. It took several tries, as whatever it was was really stuck, but finally he managed to pull it free. Pulling himself out of the water, Aeros looked for a split second at the piece of dwarven scrap metal in his hand before tossing it aside.

As he stood, water still dripping off of his armor, he could tell that the sound of the gears had returned to a normal rhythm.

Deciding to give it another shot, Aeros pressed down on the button. As the button compressed with a slight clicking sound, the bridge smoothly descended. And the dwarven centurion on the other side began to stand up.

Aeros groaned. _Not another of these guys!_ It had been over a week now since Katria's and his fight with a centurion in Arkngthamz, and his ribs still hurt.

Deciding he didn't want to wait around for an opening, as the centurion advanced across the bridge towards him, he shouted.

"TIID KLO!"

Time slowed down around him, until he could see the individual dust motes floating through the air. As the centurion's pace slowed to even slower than a snail's, Aeros took the time to prepare a spell.

Normally, when it came to magic, dwarven automatons in general were especially susceptible to fire magic, most likely because of the flames causing the metal constructs to heat up and affecting their sensitive cores.

In the case of centurions though, that didn't always work, due to their thick metal plating. In that case, Aeros had discovered a little trick.

Most people didn't know it, but lightning produced heat as well. It was most obvious after thunderstorms when you would find scorch marks where lightning had struck. The problem with lightning destruction magic however, was that the spell was too short for the heat to do anything more than leave a scorch mark. With one exception.

As Aeros focused on forming the spell, he could feel his magicka levels dropping rapidly. He wasn't able to maintain this spell for very long, but hopefully it would be enough.

As the effect of his Thu'um ended, time resumed its normal speed, and the centurion lurched towards him. When it was only a few yards away, Aeros thrust his arms out towards it, hands cupped together.

A beam of lightning shot out of his hands, striking the hulking automaton square in the chest. It staggered backwards, but continued advancing towards Aeros.

Aeros ignored the approaching machine, focusing all his attention on the spell, and concentrating it on one spot.

Soon the centurion was only a few feet away from Aeros, easily close enough to hit him. It raised its battleaxe arm, preparing to cleave him in half. As the arm began to descend though… a beam of lightning exited out of its back. The centurion lurched backwards, and toppled with a resounding crash. From the center of its chest, a fist-sized hole smoked, the metal edges glowing cherry red.

Aeros panted from exhaustion, leaning against a side of the ledge for support. No matter how many times he used it, the lightning storm spell always left him drained, which was probably to be expected, as it was a master level spell.

When he had recovered enough to continue, he stepped gingerly over the smoking wreck of the centurion and crossed the bridge to the doors at the other end.

Opening the doors, Aeros heard the sound of fighting. Hurrying down the short hallway, he found himself in a small, rubble filled room. On the side of the room to his right, Katria was busy fighting off multiple dwarven spiders and spheres.

Rushing over to help, Aeros charged into the fray, swords whirling.

After the last sphere had been reduced to a twisted piece of metal, Katria turned and smiled thankfully at Aeros.

"Thanks for the help. I don't know how well I would have done on my own."

"Anytime," Aeros said with a grin.

"Come on, I think it's over here." Katria said, pointing towards a separate room. The two of them entered the room, looking around. At the far end was a low-set table, the final shard glowing softly on top. As Aeros picked it up, Katria spoke up from next to him.

"Have to say, I'm glad that's over." She eyed the shard, an excited gleam in her eyes. "That's the last one isn't it?" Her voice grew shaky. "It's...it's almost time. I'll meet you at the Forge!"

She disappeared in a heartbeat, leaving only an afterimage behind. Aeros hurriedly put away the shard. By now, he was almost as anxious as Katria was to see this legendary Forge for himself. Crossing the room, he entered the lift on the other end that led back up to the surface. Pulling the lever, he stepped onto the center platform. As the lift ascended, he grinned to himself. Soon, this adventure would reach its end, and Katria would finally be able to achieve her goal.

* * *

Author's Notes: Sorry for the wait! Now, regarding this chapter, two things. First, anyone who has ever done the Dark Brotherhood questline knows that Raldbthar is the main location of the quest Mourning Never Comes, where you are sent to kill Alain Dufont. It also has at the very end, a room where several of the gears are jammed with skeletal remains.

For Aeros, who refused to join the Dark Brotherhood, and is actually in fact, the one who destroyed them, Raldbthar is just an odd and slightly creepy place. To him, the well-dressed Dufont is just another bandit, and the bones stuck in the gears are just creepy and morbid, with no significance whatsoever.

Second, Aeros's use of Lightning Storm. This was something I thought of while messing around. In the real world, lightning is pure plasma, and contains immense amounts of heat and energy. While this is enough to cause forest fires and turn sand into glass, a bolt of lightning is so brief it rarely does anything more than that. That said, Lightning Storm is a continuous beam of lightning, which in game actually has the ability to reduce enemies to ash, even without the Disintegrate perk. So it wasn't that far of a stretch to make it so concentrating that spell on one spot would cause it to actually melt through solid metal.

And that concludes my (lengthy) explanation about this chapter. The next chapter will be the conclusion of the Lost to the Ages quest, and a possible encounter with Taron Dreth, Katria's old colleague.

Dragon Language:

Tiid Klo = Time Sand (Slow Time Shout)


	26. Lost to the Ages 3

Lost to the Ages 3

Lightning flashed across the storm covered sky, followed a moment later by a peal of thunder. Freezing rain fell in sheets, drenching everything caught out in the open.

Aeros blinked the water out of his eyes as he parried another bandit's axe. The heavy rainfall was making it hard to see and kept obscuring his vision. And unfortunately, the bandits were keeping him too preoccupied to even use a Shout to clear the weather.

Aeros spun his swords overhead, bringing them down in a double slash that severed the bandit's head from his shoulders. At the same time, a ghostly arrow sunk into the neck of another bandit, dropping him to the ground with a gurgle.

Aeros looked towards the central platform, but he could barely see Katria, as the rain kept distorting her figure. Still, the constant stream of spectral arrows left him no doubt that she was there, fighting alongside him.

"Why is it, whenever I decide to go somewhere new, there's always someone or something waiting to kill me?" Aeros muttered to himself. A third bandit charged towards him, a warhammer raised high. Aeros shifted his weight to his back leg and kicked out with his other leg, the heavy dragonbone boot crashing into the bandit's chest. As the bandit staggered backwards from the force of the blow, Aeros advanced and thrust both of his swords into the man's chest, actually lifting him off the ground slightly. He quickly withdrew his blades and the Nord collapsed in a boneless heap.

Looking around, Aeros realized there were no more bandits left. He returned his swords to their sheaths on his back, and wiped the rain off of his face.

He turned to see Katria approaching him.

"Thanks for the help," he said as she drew near. "It's nice to know someone's watching my back."

"Anytime," Katria replied easily. "After all, what are friends for?" She grinned mischievously. "Besides, I can't let you die on me now, can I? You've got the shards, and I'd hate for those bandits to find the Forge instead of you."

They both laughed at that. After a while, Aeros looked around curiously.

"So what now?" he asked. "The Forge is supposed to be around here somewhere, right?"

Katria nodded. "Right. And I think I actually have an idea of where it is. Come on, it's right up here."

She led him back up towards the center platform where she had been shooting from earlier. In the center of the stone dais was a large, metal astrolabe. Katria pointed at the astrolabe.

"Look at the device here," she said, pointing out a shape cut out in the stand. "The gear in the center is just about the right size for the shards we collected. Try putting them in… and we'll see what happens."

Aeros looked at her dubiously, but shrugged and did as she directed. He pulled out the four Aetherium shards and set them into the gear. As he laid each piece in the correct spot, it snapped into place, interconnecting with the other shards.

As the last shard snapped into place and completed the crest, the dais shook slightly. Aeros and Katria waited with bated breath. But nothing else happened.

Aeros glanced at Katria, but she looked as perplexed as he was.

"Try… taking it out?" she suggested, having no better ideas.

Aeros reached down and grasped the completed Aetherium Crest, gear and all. To his surprise, it popped out easily.

Almost immediately, the entire platform began shaking and rumbling, and a loud groan could be heard from beneath it.

"What the…" Katria said, startled. She hurriedly waved Aeros off of the dais. "Get back! Hurry!"

Aeros quickly jumped off of the platform to where Katria was, and just in time. His feet had barely touched the ground when with a loud rumble, the dais rose into the air.

No, that wasn't quite correct. The dais did rise into the air, but only as the structure hidden beneath it was revealed, a stone tower that climbed higher and higher into the sky.

"Woah…" Katria said in awe, echoing Aeros's thoughts.

At last, the tower stopped rising, standing a good forty feet in the air. The two of them stared at it, speechless.

Katria was the first to recover. "It's...it's true," she whispered. Her voice grew louder as her excitement grew even more. She looked at Aeros with a gleam in her eye. "It's all true! Come on, let's check it out!"

They entered the opening at the base of the tower, finding only a lever in the center. Realizing it was a dwarven lift, Aeros pulled it towards him. There was a hiss, and then the platform started to descend.

As they descended, it began to grow dark, until it was so pitch black that Aeros couldn't see his own hand in front of him. He lost track of how long they waited in the darkness like that.

At last, the lift began to slow, before finally coming to a stop in what appeared to be an entry hall or vestibule.

"That took longer than usual," Katria noted as they stepped off of the lift. She looked around questionably. "How deep are we?"

Aeros had no answer for her, and could only shrug as he pulled a lever on the wall. The gates in front of them swung open. As they opened, a ruined fountain began bubbling feebly, and a large stone pillar with a brazier at the top blazed to life, illuminating a cobblestone path.

As they walked down the pathway, Katria examined everything intently. She voiced her thoughts as they walked. "This place, it feels...old, doesn't it?" she wondered aloud. "Even by dwarven standards. No one has been here in over four thousand years."

The path led them over a small underground lake, fed by waterfalls plummeting down from above. As they moved along, more and more of the braziers lit up, leading the way for them all the way to the base of a large set of stone steps. At the top, they could see several structures, remnants of the Dwemer.

"Was this another dwarven city?" Aeros asked, as they began climbing the steps. "I know some were built entirely underground."

Katria shook her head. "No, I don't think so. The four city-states that worked together on the Forge would have never allowed a specific city to control access to the Forge; they were all too paranoid and suspicious of each other. This place was likely just where the craftsmen and artisans stayed while using the Forge."

There actually wasn't much at the top of the steps. The few structures on the edges of the landing were almost all collapsed, and the few that weren't, didn't lead anywhere. The only other things of note was a small tree in a stone planter, and a pair of metal doors directly opposite it. Looking up, Aeros saw two familiar objects.

"Kinetic Resonators, huh?" he murmured. "Well, at least it's not another Tonal Lock…"

He formed two firebolts and hit both resonators dead-on. With a hiss, they spun up, while at the same time the giant doors swung open. On the other side was a downward sloping hallway, bare of any decorations or side corridors.

As they descended further and further, Aeros noticed that the air began to feel heavier, and the temperature seemed to be rising. Katria was having the same thoughts.

"Is it just me," she asked, "or does the air here feel...different? Almost like…" She didn't finish the thought, distracted as they reached the bottom of the corridor and found themselves facing a set of metal doors.

Aeros placed both hands on either door and shoved. With a groan, the doors swung open, and they were met by a blast of hot air. The room in front of them shimmered in the heat, illuminated by the river of magma flowing through the back of the chamber. At the far end was some sort of structure, but Aeros couldn't make it out due to the thick tendrils of steam rising from a grate in the center..

"Is that… the Forge?" he gasped as they entered the room. The heat was almost unbearable, and the thick plating of his armor only made it worse. He could already feel the sweat pouring off of him.

Katria squinted, but shook her head. "Gah…" she coughed. "I can't tell for sure. Let's clear out this steam so we can take a look. Take a look on those walkways, there might be some valves or something that can get rid of it."

Katria's guess was right. They found two, large valve wheels on the walkways. Aeros had to pull as hard as he could to one side, since four thousand years of disuse had caused them to rust and become stuck. The fact that they were even intact at all was a demonstration of dwarven smithing.

Finally, with a ear-piercing screech of metal, Aeros got one of them to move. He spun it as far as he could to the left, before repeating the action with the other wheel.

By the time he got that one moving, the steam in the room had already lessened considerably, making the temperature in the chamber somewhat tolerable.

"That's better," Katria said with a sigh of relief. "Come on, let's-"

They both stumbled as the room shook slightly and dust rained down from above.

"Damn!" Katria swore, looking around frantically. "What the…"

The shaking stopped abruptly, but they weren't out of danger yet. Aeros was the one who spotted it. Electricity ran along the walls and pipes before converging on multiple metal ports. The ports glowed briefly before opening and releasing the dwarven spiders inside.

"Spiders?" Katria said as she strung her bow. "All right, we can handle this. Come on!"

Aeros also pulled out his swords, and as the metal spiders clattered towards them, he rushed forward. He swung his swords all around, oftentimes outright shattering or cutting through the spiders, as Katria sent arrows singing by him.

As they fought, another burst of electricity ran along the walls, and even more ports opened up.

"Spheres!" Katria yelled. "On the upper levels!" She ducked as a metal bolt buzzed over her head and embedded itself in the stone wall.

Aeros nodded as he smashed another spider to pieces. He immediately had to raise his sword to block a dwarven sphere's bladed arm.

"FUS RO!" he shouted, causing the sphere to topple backwards. Before it could get back up, Aeros plunged one of his blades into the gap between its chest and its head. The blade punched through the thin metal neck, and the automaton's head rolled away as its body collapsed.

More spheres descended on them, some actually warped by the intense heat, and Aeros and Katria had to constantly make sure they didn't get surrounded. At one point, Aeros was fighting on the metal grate in the center of the room, magma bubbling beneath him, when he felt something shift. Immediately, the heat underneath him increased, until he could actually feel it through the thick soles of his boots.

"Damn!" he swore as he rolled off of the grate. He looked up and saw that steam was once again filling the room, the temperature rising. Looking over, he could see Katria was being pushed back by the steam as much as by the Animunculi.

"FEIM!" he shouted, feeling his body become intangible, as several metal blades swung through the space he was standing in. He vaulted onto the nearest catwalk and willed the magic to dissipate, as he strained to twist the wheel. Once he turned it back off, he fought his way over to the other valve, where he did the same thing.

He joined Katria near the doors, and together, they destroyed the last remaining spiders and spheres. As they stood there panting, Aeros grinned at Katria.

"Well, that wasn't so bad, now was it?"

Katria opened her mouth to reply, but stopped as they both noticed a strange disturbance occurring in the river of lava behind the Forge.

Aeros straightened, frowning at the oddity. "What…?" he started to ask, but stopped as something emerged from the magma.

"Oh gods…" Katria breathed.

It was a Dwarven Centurion, but it was larger than any Aeros or Katria had ever encountered. It's armor glowed bright yellow, no doubt a result of the magma it had just emerged from. Heat rose off of it in waves.

As Aeros and Katria stood there in shock, it seemed to lock onto the two intruders. It raised its weaponized arms in anger and released its breath attack. But it didn't breath a normal blast of steam like a normal Centurion. Instead it breathed out a gout of pure flames, like a dragon.

"Well...that's a new one," Katria deadpanned. Aeros could only nod in agreement.

"Think your swords can hurt that thing?" Katria asked in an undertone.

"I don't know," Aeros replied. "Think your arrows can punch through that armor plating?"

"I don't know," Katria said. They glanced at each other, and despite the situation, laughed.

"Well then," Aeros said as he prepared to dash forward. "There's only one way to find out. Besides, we have to get through that thing anyways to use the Forge."

Katria nodded, as she nocked an arrow. "Then let's get to it!"

Aeros pushed off in a burst of speed, dashing towards the Centurion as fast as he could. He hoped to get as close as possible so that its arms couldn't reach him. After seeing it breathe fire, he didn't want to know what other tricks this thing had in store.

However, the Centurion was waiting for him. As he got close, it raised its giant, hammer-clad arm high overhead, before sending it crashing down.

Aeros barely managed to roll out of the way, and the warhammer slammed down onto part of the metal grate, which buckled under the force of the blow.

Gathering his feet under him, Aeros once again rushed forward. As he got close enough, he lunged forward. His sword shot forward and, with only a moment of resistance, punched through the chest of the automaton, sending it staggering backwards.

But before Aeros could retract his blade and recover, the Centurion slammed into him full force, sending him flying. He slammed into a wall with a grunt.

Katria, seeing Aeros crash into a wall, and the giant Centurion advancing towards him, quickly let fly an arrow. The arrow had barely left the bowstring when she was already nocking another one. One of the arrows hit the elbow joint of the machine, while the other one embedded itself in the large tear in the centurion's back, the exit wound from Aeros's attack.

The Centurion stopped, and slowly turned around to face her. Luckily for Katria though, her distraction worked. Her attack had been enough to distract the Centurion and allow Aeros to recover, and as the Centurion turned away from him, he pushed off of the wall and slammed his shoulder into the thing's back as hard as he could.

The Centurion stumbled forward a few steps, off-balance. As it turned to face him, Aeros could practically see what it was going to do next.

He threw himself out of the way, as the Centurion breathed a stream of fire where he had been standing, leaving a black scorch mark on the wall.

"FO KRAH DIIN!"

A blast of cold slammed into the Centurion, the frost magic actually cooling its armor slightly, and visibly slowing its movements.

It sluggishly raised both arms, before slamming them down where Aeros had just been standing a moment before. It put so much force into the twin blows, that the hammer cracked the floor while its axe embedded itself in the stone.

Seeing an opportunity they were unlikely to get again, Aeros rushed forward as the Centurion tried to wrench its arm free.

He jumped onto the trapped arm, and as the Centurion pulled its arm free, used the momentum to fling himself at its chest.

He crashed into the Centurion and drove his swords as far into its chest as he could, ignoring the intense heat of the metal plating. The momentum of his leap tilted the Centurion backwards, and with a resounding crash, they both crashed to the ground.

Aeros pulled himself free cautiously, waiting for the Centurion to climb back to its feet and attack, but the hulking automaton didn't move. In fact, as he watched, its metal frame cooled completely and seemed to almost shrink, until it appeared no larger than an ordinary Centurion.

Katria approached him speechlessly. "That...that has got to be the most reckless attack I've ever seen," she exclaimed.

Aeros shrugged nonchalantly, as if it were no big deal. "You should see me fight dragons," he said with a slight chuckle. "My friends like to joke that my strategy is to throw myself into its mouth and cause it to choke to death."

Katria laughed. "Well, come on! Let's see if this was all worth it."

They both approached the back of the room. There, against a wall of carved stone, was possibly one of the oddest structures Aeros had seen. The top portion was made up of metal pipes, with one of those dwarven sculptures in the center. From an opening beneath the metal head poured a continuous stream of magma, falling into the section below. Below that, it was a series of pistons, pipes, and vents, all in constant motion.

"I… I almost can't believe it!" Katria said excitedly; she looked almost giddy. "We did it! We actually did it! We found the Aetherium Forge!"

_How in Oblivion is this a forge?_ Aeros thought wryly to himself.

"There's only one thing left to do," Katria continued. "We have to prove this actually works. That this is the real Aetherium Forge."

Aeros nodded. It made sense. "Okay, so how do we go about doing that?

"By forging something, of course!" She stepped back slightly. "Go ahead. After everything you've done, you should do the honors."

"Right!" Aeros said. He stepped forward, but then stopped. He turned back around to look at Katria. "Umm… What exactly am I supposed to forge with? Don't we need Aetherium to prove this is the actual Forge?"

"Of course. But I'm sure there's some in this room," Katria said confidently. "They wouldn't keep a forge if they didn't have the materials."

They looked around the room, but their efforts were fruitless. All they found were a few ingots and some gems.

Katria groaned. "There isn't any Aetherium here, is there?" she asked in frustration, burying her head in her hands. "Damn it!"

As Aeros tried to think of a way to console her, Katria suddenly lifted her head with a look of realization.

"Wait…" she said slowly. "Yes, yes there is! The shards we collected… they're pure Aetherium, remember? It's not much, but it'll do. With them, and the materials in this room, we should have everything we need."

"Make it count," she said. "This may be the only chance we ever get to use the Forge."

The two of them gathered all of the smithing materials they had found around the room and set them next to the Forge. As Aeros examined the materials in front of him, the blacksmith part of him realized he wouldn't be able to make anything big, especially since the most important material, Aetherium, was so limited. It would have to be something simple, like a staff, or a shield, or maybe a circlet. He frowned at the Forge for several long minutes before coming to a decision.

He selected all of the materials he would need, and then hesitantly inserted the crest into the slot in the center of the Forge. He watched as the Dwemer machine swallowed it, and two glowing blue circles lit up on either side.

He breathed a sigh of relief. Well, the first part was done. Now all he needed to do was make something. If he could just figure out how to work the damned thing.

* * *

He lost track of how long he worked over the Forge. Progress was excruciatingly slow, as he had to make sure he didn't make any mistakes; he couldn't afford to. Also, at the same time, he wanted to make something breathtaking, worthy of being crafted by the Aetherium Forge, and representing all the hard work and effort Katria had put into searching for this place. She was his friend, and it was what she deserved.

Finally, he stepped back, and wiped the sweat off of his brow. He turned to Katria, and showed her the object in his hands.

"Beautiful," she breathed. "That crown… it's everything I could have hoped for."

The crown shone a burnished gold in the reddish light cast by the magma, displaying every detail. The Aetherium gemstones set in it glowed a vibrant blue, illuminated from within by magicka. Overall, it gave off a sense of power and grace.

Katria smiled. "And with that… it's done," she said, a look of peace spread across her features. "No one could possibly deny what we've found now."

Aeros also smiled. "No, they can't." Neither of them said anything for a while, but then Aeros spoke again. "So what now, Katria?"

"For me?" Katria replied. "I've done what I set out to do. But you… take that out into the world. And if anyone asks, tell them what we discovered. Together."

"I will, I promise," Aeros swore. He knew what was happening, and he felt a deep pang of sadness, but at the same time, he was happy for his friend. "Congratulations, Katria. And… thanks.

"I've waited so long for this moment," Katria murmured. "We've found it. At last." She looked at Aeros, grateful for all he had done. "And now… I think I can rest. Farewell, my friend, wherever your travels take you."

The Nordic ghost, Katria, gave one last bow, and then disappeared for the last time.

* * *

Author's Notes: So this was actually a fairly straight-forward chapter to write, at least until the end. I kinda hit a wall as to how to explain Aeros creating something with the Forge, since:

1) It doesn't look anything like a forge, with no visible clues as to how it might have been used.

2) In game, you insert the crest into the Forge, select which item you want to make, and then "Voila! Here you go! Instant item!"

So based off of that mental wall, and lack of information lore-wise, I decided the best decision was a little time-skip, that way I didn't completely botch it up.

Now, that aside, this was originally going to be the last chapter of the arc, but I wanted to include some things after this that didn't really fit in flow-wise with the ending of Aeros's recounting of his adventure. So instead, I split it off into one more chapter. Hurray!

Characters:

The Forgemaster: Not really a character per se, but still, a unique boss. The Forgemaster is a unique Dwarven Centurion who guards the Aetherium Forge. Larger than a normal Centurion, the Forgemaster also has the ability to breath fire instead of steam like his normal counterparts.

Dragon Language:

Fus Ro = Force Balance (First two words of the Unrelenting Force Shout)

Feim = Fade (First word of the Become Ethereal Shout)

Fo Krah Diim = Frost Cold Freeze (Frost Breath Shout)


	27. Lost to the Ages 4

Lost to the Ages 4

"And that was the end of it," Aeros finished with a sigh. "Katria's soul was put to rest, and she moved on to Sovngarde. After I left the Forge, I spent a little bit of time visiting friends, before I returned here to Solitude."

"I thought you said that you promised Katria to show the crown to everyone and tell them what you found," Jordis recalled.

She looked at her Thane curiously. "But I've never seen that crown before today, and I've never heard you mention the Forge to anyone. Why?"

Aeros laughed in self-derision. "Because that crown holds bittersweet memories for me. Trying to find the Forge is something I won't ever forget, but at the same time, it led to me losing a friend, even if it was her own choice to move on from this world."

Serana knew that wasn't the real reason, or at least not the only one. Her suspicions were confirmed when Aeros spoke up again.

"Besides, somehow, I feel like there's still something I need to do before I can honor my promise to Katria." He sighed. "I just wish I knew what that something is."

Seeing Aeros stare moodily at his empty wine glass, Serana and Jordis decided he needed some cheering up. They looked at each other and nodded. Both of them grabbed an arm and pulled him out of his seat.

"H-hey!" he sputtered, as they proceeded to literally drag him out of the house. "What do you two think you're doing?!"

"You need some cheering up," Jordis explained. "And the best way to cheer up a Nord…"

"...Is to get him nice and drunk," Serana finished. "So we're taking you to the Winking Skeever."

Aeros continued to protest as they somehow managed to get him down the steps, but finally gave up. He could probably break free of Jordis's grip, but he didn't have a chance against Serana. So he might as well go along with them, at least that way he could maintain some semblance of dignity, instead of everybody getting to see the Dragonborn forcibly dragged down the street by his own fiancée and housecarl.

Besides, a couple drinks at the bar didn't sound like a completely bad idea.

* * *

\- Several hours later -

As the three of them left the Skeever, Aeros had to admit he was in a _much _better mood. His earlier melancholy was gone, and his head was filled with a nice, pleasant buzz.

He wasn't completely drunk of course. A drunk Dragonborn tended to not be good for people's health, and he still remembered the last time he had gotten completely drunk, and woken up in Markarth.

The same couldn't be said for Jordis. Serana was fine, since as a vampire she could tolerate substantially more alcohol than your average person, but Jordis had consumed so much mead that she had to lean on Serana for support just so she could walk.

As they left the bar, Aeros had turned around to say goodbye to Lisette and some of the other Bards, and of course, laugh at Serana's attempts to get Jordis through the doorway. So of course, he wasn't paying attention to where he was walking and inadvertently bumped into someone.

Aeros stumbled back a few steps before he regained his balance. He turned to apologize to whoever he just ran into.

"You horker-brained idiot!" snarled a well-dressed Dunmer as one of his three bodyguards helped him off of the ground. "Why don't you look where you're going, instead of stumbling around like a drunkard?"

"I'm sorry about that," Aeros said honestly. "I was distracted and wasn't paying attention to where I was going."

"What's going on?" Serana asked, having finally managed to help Jordis through the door.

"It's nothing," Aeros said, turning slightly to look at her. As he turned, the Dunmer's eyes were drawn to something on Aeros's belt, glinting in the torchlight.

"That crown…" he gasped in shock, drawing their attention back to him. "Gods, it's made of Aetherium! Pure Aetherium! Where did you find it? Tell me!"

Serana frowned, while Aeros glanced down at the Aetherium Crown hanging off of his belt. He had still been holding it when Jordis and Serana had dragged him out of the house, and they wouldn't turn around so he could put it back, so in the end he had decided that was the safest place for it to be.

He looked back up at the dark elf. There was a greedy expression in his eyes that Aeros didn't like.

"Just who in Oblivion are you?" Serana asked somewhat testily. She didn't like this elf's snooty attitude.

The dark elf drew himself and puffed out his chest arrogantly. "Taron Dreth," he replied smugly. "The world's foremost expert on Dwemer forging techniques. Now answer my question!"

Aeros frowned as the elf gave his name. Something about it tugged at his memory, but he couldn't place it. It was like he had heard it somewhere before...

"I made it," he said simply, still trying to place the name.

The elf's eyes widened in shock. "What? You made it? Then that means you...you found the Forge? The Aetherium Forge?" He sounded horrified by such a possibility.

And that was the final clue that Aeros needed. Dreth's knowledge of the Forge helped him finally remember where he had heard that name before.

He flexed his hand instinctively in preparation for a spell, but didn't do anything else. He didn't want to make a rash decision.

"Yes" he said slowly. "I found the Forge. Although I did have some help. From Katria."

He watched the elf closely as he said Katria's name, looking for a reaction. He wasn't disappointed.

The blood drained out of Dreth's face until it was a pale ashen color, and his eyes bulged. His forehead was soon covered in a sheen of sweat.

"Katria?" he whispered almost inaudibly. He shook his head frantically. "No, no that's not possible!"

His eyes locked feverishly onto the three of them. "You… you know too much," he muttered. "I can't afford to let you live."

He fell back a few steps and raised his hand. "Guards, kill them!" he cried out to the three hulking men behind him, while at the same time he launched a fireball at Aeros's head.

Luckily, Aeros was ready, and brought up his right hand with a ward already prepared. The fireball slammed against the magical ward and exploded, but none of it got through.

Aeros let the ward dissipate, bringing up his other hand to let loose a volley of lightning bolts. Taron Dreth jumped out of the way, and the spell crashed into the cobblestones, leaving a scorch mark.

Dreth glared at Aeros, a glint of madness in his eyes. "I will take that crown off of your corpse," he rambled. "And then no one will ever be able to prove I didn't find the Forge!"

"Let's see you try," Aeros growled.

* * *

It's amazing how quickly being in a life or death situation sobered you up. As the three men charged at Serana and Jordis with weapons raised high, Jordis's head cleared up remarkably quick as the two women realized the situation they were in.

All three men were heavily armored, and wielding large, two-handed weapons. By comparison, Serana was wearing her usual light outfit, but only had her dagger on her. Jordis was slightly better off, as she was wearing her customary steel armor, but had left her own sword back in Proudspire.

As the foremost bodyguard stepped forward and swung his greatsword, Jordis ducked down under the blow. As the blade passed over her head, she rolled forward and elbowed the large Nord in the gut, hard.

The man doubled over gasping for breath, releasing his grip on his sword. Jordis snatched the weapon off of the ground and finished off the winded Nord with a thrust through the chest. As he collapsed, Jordis looked up to see how things were going for her friends.

Aeros was currently engaged in a mage battle with the dark elf, Taron Dreth. He was as ill-equipped as they were, as he rarely wore his armor and swords when he was staying in the city for an extended period of time. Fortunately for him, that wasn't as much of a disadvantage in a magic fight as it was in a melee.

Knowing her Thane could handle himself, Jordis turned to check on Serana, and realized she was in a worse situation.

Serana was managing to hold her own for the most part, keeping the two remaining bodyguards at bay with constant ice spikes and lightning bolts. Still, they were slowly backing her into a corner, and her magicka had to run out sooner or later. And a fight between a dagger and something like a battle-axe or warhammer was not likely to end well for her.

Jordis, realizing the trouble Serana was in, charged in to help.

* * *

"You're a coward!" Aeros growled as he deflected another spell. "The thing she had spent her entire life looking for, and you stole all of it and claimed it as your own. Katria died as a result, died while trying to prove the truth!"

The dark elf sneered. "She was always too trusting," he said as he sent an ice storm careening down the street. "She never once suspected betrayal. Which made it so much easier." He laughed contemptuously.

He had to duck as a fireball shot right over his head, exploding against a stone wall. He sent a spell of chain lightning at Aeros, which he easily avoided. Unfortunately, the spell hit a wall behind him and ricocheted back, catching him in the back of his shoulder.

Aeros grabbed his shoulder in pain. Keeping an eye on Dreth, he cast a minor healing spell on the wounded shoulder. As the spell took effect, he found himself wishing he had his armor on him. It was enchanted to protect him somewhat from spells like this, so he could focus on finishing the mage with his own swords or magic.

Still, he needed to finish this. Eventually, they would both run out of magicka, but he didn't doubt who would run out first. The robes Dreth was wearing were likely enchanted to aid in recovering magicka, and he probably had several magicka potions on him.

What he needed, was to distract Dreth for a few moments. And he had an idea of how.

"FO KRAH DIIN!" he shouted. A wave of frost flew towards Dreth, and he staggered backwards as the force of Aeros's Thu'um hit his ward.

While Dreth was off balance, Aeros thrust his hand out in the dark elf's direction, and then jerked it, as if he was pulling something. A crate of Evette's Spiced Wine slammed into the Dunmer, sending him crashing to the ground. Aeros made a mental note to pay Evette for all the wine he probably just broke.

He focused all of his remaining magicka in his right hand, preparing to cast an expert-level frost spell to impale Katria's former partner, but something stopped him.

"Well?" snarled Dreth from the ground, as he glared balefully at Aeros. "Go on, finish me! Take your revenge for Katria!"

Aeros let the spell in his hand dissipate. He shook his head.

"No, I've got a better idea," he said. "I'll let the guards arrest you, and while you're rotting in jail, I'll finally tell everyone the truth about the Forge. How you stole Katria's work, and how her and I actually found it."

Taron Dreth's eyes bulged. "No! You can't!" he shrieked fearfully. "That will ruin me! I'll be left with nothing!" His eyes darted about frantically, trying to find a way out of this.

By now, people were beginning to look out cautiously into the street, including several guards. They had all heard the fighting, but no one had wanted to risk getting caught in a magical crossfire, and so they had stayed indoors.

"Exactly," said Aeros harshly. "You'll get to experience first-hand what you did to Katria. Except this time, there won't be a way out, no Forge to find, no way to clear your name."

He waved one of the guards over, and explained the situation to him. The guard nodded in understanding, and then him and three other guards yanked the disgraced Dunmer to his feet. As they walked by him, Aeros gave the trembling Dreth his final words of contempt.

"You'll be the laughingstock of your peers, and you'll be looked down on wherever you go for the rest of your life, treated as little better than a beggar. Enjoy it."

With that, he turned and walked away, as the guards marched their prisoner up to Castle Dour.

Aeros joined Serana and Jordis, who had finished off the last of the bodyguards. Neither of them appeared to be hurt, besides a few minor cuts and bruises.

"Are you alright?" he asked them both.

"We're fine, my Thane," Jordis assured him. "They were a little more stubborn in dying than most, but weren't much of a threat beyond that."

"Forget that," Serana interrupted. "What happened to that dark elf, Taron Dreth?"

Aeros explained what had happened to them, including the part about Dreth's relation to Katria.

"Given who he was, I'm surprised you didn't just kill him, my Thane," Jordis noted. Serana nodded in agreement.

Aeros sighed wearily. "I almost did. He was down, and I had the spell ready. But I didn't. Part of it is because it was a better fate than he deserved, but I think it was also because I realized that wasn't how I should honor Katria's memory."

His shoulders slumped in exhaustion as he let out another heavy sigh.

"Come on, Aeros," Serana said gently. "Let's head back to Proudspire. You're tired, and could use some sleep. Tomorrow, we can get started on fulfilling your promise to Katria.

Aeros nodded, and the three of them headed back home, where beds and more peaceful thoughts awaited them.

* * *

Author's Notes: And here's the end of the final chapter of Lost to the Ages. Personally, I'm glad that they put Taron Dreth into the game, as it was extremely satisfying to run into him after Lost to the Ages and realize who he was, and proceed to extract revenge for Katria.

Also, this chapter includes two key things I wanted to point out, as they relate to Aeros and who he is as an individual.

1) Aeros is the kind of person who forms friendships with a lot of people, and cares about those bonds almost more than anything. This was slightly evident in Blood and Pestilence, when he was enraged after Serana and the others fell into a Thalmor trap.

Thus, he understandably has a hatred for Taron Dreth, despite having never met him before. The man (elf?) pretended to be Katria's partner, then stole all of her research and published it as his own. As a result, Katria was left with nothing, and had no other course of action than to try and find the Forge, which ultimately led to her death. Since Aeros considered Katria as a friend, finding himself face to face with Taron Dreth was, to him, an opportunity to avenge Katria.

2) Now, the second key point. Originally, I was going to have Aeros kill Dreth, since that's what happens normally in the game. However, I decided not to for several reasons. First, I wanted to convey a sense of mercy in Aeros, which is often not evident when fighting bandits and draugr, who generally fight to the death.

The other reason is because of a quote by Friedrich Nietzsche, which will feature as a key element in the next arc: "He who fights monsters should see to it that he himself does not become a monster." Ever since he arrived in Skyrim, Aeros has been fighting bandits, dragons, vampires, and all other sorts of monstrosities almost every day. He's watched families be torn apart, encountered men who started a war for their own personal gain, and witnessed the very worst of human and elven nature. So it's important that he does not give in to despair and lose hold of his humanity, as an evil or cruel Dragonborn has the capacity to be the worst monster of all.

That's it for my daily rambles, I swear.

Characters:

Taron Dreth: The former partner of Katria. He betrayed her and stole all of her research, publishing it as his own. After completing Lost to the Ages and carrying around the Aetherium item you crafted, there is a chance to run into him, where you can confront him about Katria and he will try to kill you in an attempt to prevent anyone from finding out the truth.

Dragon Language:

Fo Krah Diin = Frost Cold Freeze


	28. When the Dragon Breaks 1

"_You look to your left, you see one way. You look to your right, you see another. But neither is any harder than the opposite. But the Elder Scrolls...they look left and right in the stream of time. The future and past are as one. Sometimes they even look up. What do they see then? What if they dive in? Then the madness begins." _— Septimus Signus

_"Those who have tasted the light of goodness and justice and turned away make the foulest villains." — _An excerpt on fallen heroes and paladins.

* * *

When the Dragon Breaks 1

"Ahh!" Aeros exclaimed happily as he stretched. "It's good to be back in Whiterun!"

Serana just smiled as they walked through the open city gates. They had just spent the last couple days traveling from Solitude to Whiterun via wagon. No doubt they could have made it in little over a day if they had pushed themselves, but they had been traveling at a leisurely pace. Plus, Aeros had insisted on traveling as little as possible during the more sun-filled hours of the day, despite Serana's protests that she was fine.

"Well, it's your fault we haven't been here in so long," she pointed out. "If you didn't constantly fill that journal of yours up with all sorts of requests from others, we could have visited a long time ago."

Aeros refused to let Serana's ribbing ruin his good mood, even if there was some truth to it. He _had _spent a fair portion of the past couple weeks helping out the people of Solitude and the hold of Haafingar.

Of course, Serana had also been kept busy, as the noblewomen and Elisif's ladies-in-waiting had been constantly pestering her with new ideas for the wedding. When she had agreed to have the wedding in the Blue Palace, she hadn't anticipated all of the arguing and bickering between the women over every little detail. Oftentimes, it seemed like the only thing stopping her from biting the lot of them was the presence of Elisif.

She had initially been nervous meeting the Jarl of Solitude for the first time to discuss wedding plans, but the two women had quickly hit it off and since then became good friends. That was why Elisif was able to help make the planning a little more bearable for Serana, and of course, prevent a large portion of her court from being killed by the irritated bride-to-be.

"So what's the plan for today?" Serana asked after they had stopped to say hello to Adrianne, Halldis, and Ulfberth.

"Hmm…" Aeros said thoughtfully. He looked up at the sun overhead. "Well, it's still pretty early. I need to talk to Jarl Balgruuf's steward about a bounty first, but after that, why not just visit with some of our friends? I'll ask Lydia if she can make sure that all of our stuff is brought up to the house from the wagon, that way we don't have to worry about it."

Serana voiced her agreement, and after a short visit with Proventus Avenicci about the dragon they had taken care of on their way here, the two of them spent the remainder of the morning catching up with old friends, and as their belongings were brought up, selling some of the remaining loot from Aeros's collection.

Late in the afternoon, they stopped by Jorrvaskr.

Walking through the front doors of the mead hall, Aeros felt like he had never left. Njada and Athis were going at it again, with a group of other Companions cheering them on. The fires were roaring, and the tables were laden with food and drink.

Serana laughed when she saw the Nord woman and Dunmer rolling around on the floor. "Some things just never change, do they?" she asked aloud. Aeros just chuckled.

The fight didn't last much longer, when Njada grabbed Athis by the straps of his armor, and delivered a sharp headbutt. The dark elf collapsed in a heap, out cold. The surrounding Companions cheered and gold began to change hands.

At that point, most of the Companions realized their Harbinger and his fiancée were standing there, and with a collective shout, welcomed him home.

"How have you been?"

"Slain any dragons recently?

"I heard you discovered a lost Dwemer artifact!"

Aeros laughed and answered the flood of questions as best he could, directing Serana and himself to a pair of seats at the table. He had forgotten how much the Companions felt like one, big family.

Eventually, Aela and the twins joined them, and the five of them began swapping tales and jokes. Aela shooed away the more persistent Companions, but only after Aeros promised to share several of his adventures with them.

At one point, Aeros inquired about Aleiane, and how she was fitting in with the Companions. Serana and him had not seen her since the events with the cultists of Peryite.

Aela grinned, and got up. She returned a few moments later with the young Breton girl.

"She's had no trouble fitting in," the redhead said proudly. "She's a natural with the dagger, and has already learned how to use her small size to her advantage."

The twins, Vilkas and Farkas snickered at something behind Aela's back, while Aleiane blushed and ducked her head shyly.

"I'm glad you're fitting in, Aleiane," Serana said kindly, and the young brunette flashed her a small smile.

By the time Aeros and Serana were ready to leave, it was already dark.

"Why don't you stay here for the night, Harbinger?" Aela asked. "It would do the Companions good for their Harbinger to sleep in the same hall as them every once in awhile."

Aeros hesitated. He had never felt comfortable using the Harbinger's quarters. To him, it was still Kodlak's room.

But it was late, so after a moment of indecision, he nodded. Lydia would know where they were if something came up.

Aela led them to the sleeping quarters of the Companions and led them down to the end of the hall.

"I'll let you two get some sleep," she said, turning to leave. As Aela closed the door, she saw Serana giving Aeros a meaningful look. She smirked to herself. Hopefully Aeros wouldn't be too worn out in the morning.

* * *

\- The next morning -

"Aeros, you need to get up," said Serana's voice.

"Harbinger, you've slept long enough," added Aela's voice.

Aeros groaned and mumbled incoherently as he rolled over, trying to muffle the voices with his pillow. He was having a very pleasant dream about a party in Sovngarde, and didn't want it to end just yet.

The two voices tried again, but he didn't respond. Then, just when he thought the two women had given up, he felt his body lurch to the side, and he tumbled out of bed, landing on the very cold stone tiles.

Aeros groaned in pain and slowly opened his eyes. Standing above him were Aela and Serana, both grinning in amusement at him.

"Divines damn it," he growled. "Did you two have to wake me up like that? There are better ways to do it than yanking someone's furs out from under him, you know."

"Better, maybe," Aela smirked, "but a lot less fun."

Aeros growled aloud as he climbed to his feet.

"Alright, I'm up," he groused. "What did you two want?"

"Some of us decided to teach the new bloods how to actually fight, since it seems like some of them barely know how to hold a sword."

"And I needed to be woken up to be told this, why?" Aeros asked.

"Because the Harbinger should actually oversee the training for once, instead of sleeping the day away," Aela quipped. "Maybe you could even give a few lessons."

Aeros thought about it, and agreed. "All right, I'll do it," he said. "I'll be out there in a few minutes."

"Good." Aela started to leave, but stopped and turned back to look at him. "A suggestion, Aeros, for when you do actually come outside."

"What?"

"You might want to wear a little more than you are now," Aela said with a grin towards Serana.

It was at this point that Aeros realized he was standing there stark-ass naked. It was rather amusing for the two women to watch as his face flushed beet red, followed by his attempts to cover himself, before he finally gave up and hurriedly got dressed, keeping his back to them all the while.

"I'll leave you to it then," Aela said with a snicker as she left.

"Need help there?" Serana asked sweetly. Aeros turned and gave her a withering glare. She just laughed.

"I'm sorry," she said. "But when Aela came by, you were still asleep. We couldn't resist."

"I think I preferred it when you two _weren't _friends…" Aeros muttered to himself, which made Serana laugh even more.

* * *

\- Outside Jorrvaskr -

By the time Aeros and Serana got dressed and grabbed something to eat, most of the Companions were already practicing outside.

The two of them grabbed a seat on the patio and watched the Companions go at it. Recently, a fair number of adventurers and new bloods had asked to join, likely drawn by the stories of their fabled acts of honor and valor. Most of them had been turned away for various reasons, but about six had actually been allowed to join. Of those, maybe one or two actually knew how to fight. The rest had no clue.

Watching them fight, Aeros grinned. It had been a long time since he had first picked up a sword, and watching some of the younger recruits flail around was quite entertaining.

Scanning the group, Aeros caught sight of Aleiane. She was currently facing off against a large Nord, who, despite his size and build, was obviously not used to the practice sword and shield in his hands.

Aleiane, on the other hand, was practically dancing around him with her dagger, never staying still long enough for him to catch her. Growing frustrated, the young Nord lunged forward. The brunette sidestepped and he stumbled past her, overextended. She quickly closed in and held her dagger to his throat. The Nord raised his hands in defeat.

"She's certainly grown since we last saw her, in more ways than one," Serana noted, also watching Aleiane. She still remembered the scared Breton girl who had been afraid and unsure of herself.

Somebody dropped down into a seat next to them.

"I see you've discovered Aela's star pupil," Vilkas said, noticing where they were looking. When they looked at him in confusion, he clarified.

"Almost from the moment the girl joined, Aela took her under her wing, and has been teaching her how to fight. Really, it's almost unfair to the other new bloods," he said with a laugh.

"That seems unlike Aela," Aeros said in confusion. He couldn't remember the last time Aela had been so fond of someone. She tended to present a tough persona to everyone, and rarely let anyone see her more caring and compassionate side.

Vilkas chuckled. "The way she's been acting, you would think Aleiane was her own daughter."

At that moment, the huntress in question approached them. Vilkas's jaw snapped shut, much to Serana's amusement.

"Well, Aeros," she said, stopping in front of them. "You've had long enough to sit and relax. How about a quick sparring match, to show some of these whelps what a real fight looks like?"

Aeros grinned, and stood up. "Sure, why not? It's been too long since you and I went at it. Normal rules?"

Aela nodded. "No magic, no Shouts, and no ranged weapons, just a good, old-fashioned melee."

"This, I've got to see," Serana said with anticipation.

A space was quickly cleared for them, and the newer members eagerly strained forward to watch.

One of the Companions handed them both their practice swords. Although they were used for practice, the only difference between them and a real sword was that their edges were blunted; they couldn't cut, although they could still leave impressive bruises, and even break a few bones if enough force was put behind the blow.

Although the new bloods had been using the practice swords so that they didn't hurt themselves, with Aeros and Aela, it was even more of a necessity. Bouts between the two of them tended to get extremely heated, and there had been more than one occasion where if they had been using real swords, one or both of them would have been dead or missing a limb.

Aela strapped her shield to her arm and drew her sword, settling into a stance. Aeros followed suit, leaning forward and holding both swords down so that the points were almost touching the ground. It was a stance that seemed to be full of openings, but those who had adventured with him before knew just how misleading that was.

The two circled each other warily for several long moments, never breaking eye contact. All of a sudden, they leaped towards each other, the courtyard ringing with the sound of their swords crashing together.

Aeros spun his body in a full circle, using the momentum to swing both swords towards Aela's unprotected neck. Aela leaned back, and the blades swung harmlessly past. Before Aeros could recover, she bashed her shield into his chest, causing him to stumble backwards. While he was off-balance, she lunged forward, her sword darting towards his gut

He parried the blow and rained a flurry of blows down on Aela. However, she managed to avoid or block each and every single one of them. Retaliating, her sword shot up from her side, cutting diagonally across Aeros's chest. He deflected the blow off of the blade in his left hand, thrusting forward with the one in his right.

And so it went. They clashed together repeatedly, furiously attacking each other and attempting to find an opening. The problem was, the two of them had adventured and fought together for so long that they could predict what the other was going to do almost instinctively.

A few strikes did manage to get through on both sides, but they were glancing blows, and barely even registered to the two warriors.

After nearly thirty minutes of intense fighting though, both of them were reaching their limits. Both Aeros and Aela were drenched in sweat, and breathing heavily. Their limbs ached, and their bruises stung. However, both of them continued to glare determinedly at the other, refusing to back down.

With a yell, Aeros attacked. Giving a cry of her own, Aela charged forward to meet him. The two met at the center of the ring of spectators, their blades locking together. They strained against each other, each trying to overpower their opponent.

To those watching, the result seemed certain. Aela might be a skilled fighter, but Aeros was definitely stronger. In a contest of brute strength, such as they were in right now, Aeros would definitely win.

Or so they thought. As they watched, Aela suddenly disengaged, falling backwards towards the ground, where she landed on her back. Aeros, thrown off by the sudden lack of pressure, stumbled forward. As he did, Aela kicked out with both feet, catching Aeros square in the chest. Using his own momentum against him, she used her feet to flip him up and over her.

He flipped through the air, and crashed to the ground, the heavy weight of his armor working against him. The air whooshed out of his lungs as he landed heavily on his back, and he had to struggle to breathe.

Before he could move though, Aela, who had gotten back to her feet, planted a knee on his chest and held the tip of her sword to his throat. Her eyes blazed fiercely as she stared at him.

"I yield," Aeros said hoarsely, still struggling to get his breath back. The crowd of spectators erupted into cheering, and more than a few of the Companions traded gold.

With a victorious grin, Aela stood and offered Aeros a hand. He grasped it, and she hauled him to his feet. It wasn't long before the other members of the Circle and Serana joined them.

Farkas laughed as he slapped Aeros on the back. "Ysmir's beard! It's been too long since I've seen you two go at it like that!"

"I think Aela has been waiting for a chance to hand your ass to you again, Harbinger," Vilkas observed dryly.

"Now I remember why I haven't had a sparring match with you recently, Aela," Aeros muttered.

"Oh, poor you," said Serana without an ounce of sympathy. "Don't tell me that the great and mighty Dragonborn was actually hurt from a little crash like that?"

"Isn't this the part where you're supposed to comfort your fiancé about his loss?" Aeros complained. "You know, with a great show of affection?"

"Probably," Serana agreed. "But it's much more fun to make fun of you." She grinned saucily as Aeros scowled at her.

Aela snickered at their antics. "So tell me," she said, interrupting the two's good-natured banter. "Do you and Serana ever spar with each other, at least outside of the bedroom?"

Aeros and Serana both blushed, but Serana just smirked. Aeros on the other hand, looked off to the side before answering, embarrassed.

"We have gone a few rounds," he admitted. "But she cheats even more than you do." He refused to elaborate further. Aela looked questioningly at Serana, who laughed.

"He means all I have to do is flutter my eyelashes at him and he loses all ability to think," Serana said with a grin. Aela snickered.

"That is definitely _not _what you do to distract me," Aeros protested. This of course made the two women laugh even more. Aeros glanced at Vilkas and Farkas for support, but they could only shake their heads in sympathy.

Once Aela and Serana had laughed enough at him, Aeros and Serana sat back down as the recruits resumed their training. The more senior Companions began going around offering advice and correcting mistakes.

The two of them enjoyed the rest of the rather uneventful morning. There were a few instances where Aeros was called over to share some of his expertise in fighting, and once, Serana was asked to help Aela demonstrate some of the finer details of fighting with a dagger. But for the most part, they just watched the antics of the fledgling warriors.

Their current source of amusement was the spectacle of Vilkas attempting to teach a young Nord how to block an enemy's blows using a sword instead of a shield. The key word was attempting, since the young man just couldn't seem to fully grasp the concept, resulting in a large number of painful lumps on the head.

After yet again breaking through the young man's guard, Vilkas sighed in exasperation.

"Come on lad, get that sword up! It won't do you much good if you can't keep an enemy from skewering you like a pig!"

This was followed by another smack of metal against flesh and a yelp.

Serana turned towards Aeros to share a laugh at the hapless Nord, but stopped when she saw a shadow flit across Aeros's face. For a brief moment, there was an expression of deep sorrow and pain, and of regret.

But just like that, it was gone, and he was smiling and laughing again as if nothing had happened, making Serana wonder if she had just imagined it.

But watching him more closely, Serana realized that his smile didn't quite reach his eyes, and his laughter was more than a little forced.

It was a good act, but Serana wasn't fooled. She resolved to question him about it later, once they were alone.

* * *

\- Plains District -

Aeros wandered about the Plains District in the midafternoon sun, browsing the market stands and chatting with the merchants. The Companions had finally called it a day sometime after noon, and returned to Jorrvaskr tired and bruised, to eat and drink.

Aeros had felt restless though, and decided to wander aimlessly through the market. He was still wearing his armor and swords, but only because he hadn't taken the time to remove them yet.

Since it was his turn to cook, he decided to stop by Carlotta's stall. He was just discussing prices with her when a voice cried out from behind him.

"Murderer!" a woman shrieked. "You dare show your face here, after all you've done?!"

Aeros turned around in confusion, and was met with the sight of a disheveled Nord woman, her clothes dirty and torn, and her blonde hair a tangled mess. She glared at him with bloodshot eyes that were red and puffy from crying.

"What are you talking about, ma'am?" he asked in bewilderment. She seemed to be directing her outburst at him, although he didn't understand why.

"Don't pretend you don't know, you dastard!" the woman spat. "You attacked us last night, and forced us to run for our lives!"

_Us_? Aeros forced himself to look behind the woman and saw three children huddled together, eyeing him fearfully. One, a fair-haired teenaged girl around fourteen, was obviously trying to comfort the other two, a boy and a girl, but without much success. Although she did a better job of hiding it, Aeros saw that she was also watching him anxiously. Overall, the children were in as bad a state as their mother.

"Where is my husband, you murderer?" the woman shrieked, drawing his attention back to her. "What did you do to my husband!?"

She flew at him in a grief-stricken rage, her hands clawing at him. Aeros avoided her attempt, still confused as to what was happening. As she came at him again, attempting to claw at his eyes, he gripped her wrists, immobilizing her. He held on as she shook and tried to tear herself free.

Glancing behind her, he released her hands just in time for the city guards to restrain her. Still, she continued to scream insults and demands at him.

Looking around, he saw Serana and Aela hurrying towards him, and Lydia approaching from the direction of Breezehome. They all reached him at the same time.

"Aeros, what happened?"

"We heard a commotion…"

"My Thane, are you alright?"

Aeros shook his head. "I don't know what's going on," he told them. "She just started screaming at me and then tried to attack me." He motioned to the woman, who was still being held by two of the guards.

"Perhaps we should teach her a lesson, that way she won't make the same mistake again," Aela said threateningly. Aeros hurried to dissuade her.

"No, it's not like that," he said. "Before she came at me, she was screaming something about being attacked, and her missing husband."

Serana tilted her head in puzzlement. "She said she was attacked? By who?"

"By me," Aeros said in a tight voice. He shrugged. "I don't understand it any better than you do."

"Maybe we should try asking her to explain it then," Serana said, nodding towards the woman.

The four of them slowly approached the restrained woman. She glared at them as they approached.

"Excuse me, ma'am," Serana said politely. "Could you tell us what's going on? You were yelling something about being attacked?" The others could hear the amount of persuasion she was trying to put into her words.

The woman spat at their feet. "Why don't you ask _him_?" she snarled, jerking her head at Aeros. "He knows exactly what I'm talking about. As for me, I won't talk to anyone who claims to be friends with a monster like him." After that, she refused to give an answer beyond curses, even as the guards escorted her up to the Dragonsreach jail.

"Maybe we should try asking the children?" Lydia suggested. Throughout the entire ordeal, the three children had stood petrified. As Aeros and the others approached them however, they screamed and began frantically backing away.

Without realizing it, in their attempt to get away, the children backed themselves into a corner. Upon realizing they had nowhere left to go, the two younger children began crying, while their elder sister planted herself protectively in front of them and drew her dagger, holding it in trembling hands as she pointed it at Aeros.

"Get back, you monster!" she said in a quavering voice. "Don't come any closer, or I'll...I'll…"

Aeros flinched at the girl's words, but still managed to calmly step forward. The girl inhaled sharply, but before she could do anything, Aeros spoke in a quiet, soothing voice.

"Kaan Drem Ov."

A feeling of peacefulness swept over the terrified children, and they blearily blinked their eyes before falling towards the ground, asleep.

Aeros caught all three of them before they hit the ground. He looked up at the others.

I'll carry them to Jorrvaskr," he said quietly. "See if you can convince the guards to release their mother into your care, and bring her up there. We need to figure out what's going on."

Serana, Aela, and Lydia nodded in agreement.

Gathering the children in his arms, Aeros slowly began making his way towards the hall of the Companions.

Serana and the other two woman likewise headed off to the Dragonsreach dungeons. Once there, they explained the situation to the captain, and asked if he could turn over the woman to them. He was dubious, but agreed that a member of the Companion, and the Dragonborn's housecarl and fiancée could more than handle themselves against a lone woman.

Once he had found the keys, he showed them to the cell and unlocked it for them.

The woman glared at them from her seat on the ground as they entered.

"What do you want?" she demanded. "Come to finish the job your friend started?"

Serana raised her hands in an attempt to calm the woman. "We just want to talk," she said slowly. "We're trying to understand what happened."

"And why should I tell you anything?" the woman snapped.

"Listen here, you…" Aela growled, but Lydia put a hand on her shoulder and she stopped.

"Because we're trying to help you," Serana explained patiently. "We've already talked to the guards, and they've allowed you to go free, provided you come with us. Besides, don't you want to see your children? I'm sure they must miss their mother."

The woman sat up straight, her eyes wide. "Birgitte? Estrild? Björn? Where are they?"

"They're safe," Serana promised. "They're with the Companions right now, in the hall of Jorrvaskr. If you come with us, I promise you can see them. Please."

The woman stared at them for a long time, wavering. At last, she nodded.

They helped her stand and led her out of the jail, walking down the steps towards Jorrvaskr.

Serana was in the back of the group, and as the others walked through the archway and entered Jorrvaskr, a hand reached out from behind her and grabbed her wrist.

She spun around, hand reaching for her dagger, but stopped when she saw it was Aeros.

"Aeros!" she said in surprise. "Don't startle me like that; next time you might lose a hand!"

Aeros smiled weakly. "Sorry. I just wanted to talk to you for a second."

"What is it?" Serana asked. "Couldn't it have waited until we were inside?"

He shook his head. "That's what I wanted to talk to you about. I think it's better if I'm not there when you question that woman."

"What? Why?"

He rubbed a hand wearily over his face. In that instant, he looked far older than he was, a man with all the weight of the world on his shoulders.

"You saw how she reacted when she saw me," he said with a heavy sigh. "Even the children are terrified of me. If I'm there, we're likely to not find out anything."

"You have a point," Serana agreed reluctantly. "Still…"

He smiled faintly. "Don't worry about me, I'll be fine. How about this; I'll join the rest of you after you've managed to calm them down, and gotten their story. Hopefully by then, they won't be so willing to run for the hills at the mere sight of me."

Despite his joking tone, Serana could tell that the accusations of the mother and daughter still stung. But there wasn't anything she could do about it right now. "Alright," she said instead. "Just try not to let what they said get to you."

Aeros nodded. "I won't," he promised. "I'll let you get to it then." With that, he turned and walked back down the steps, a forlorn figure in the night.

Serana watched him for a few moments, but finally turned around and went inside.

Serana spotted the children as she entered. They were currently entranced by Ria, as she recounted the first time she killed a bear, although the older girl was still attentive to their surroundings. Aela and Lydia were already seated at a table with the woman, and as Serana sat down, Aela leaned over and asked in an undertone, "What took you so long?"

"I'll tell you later," Serana murmured. Aela nodded in acceptance.

Lydia waved Tilma over and whispered something in her ear. The elderly woman nodded and hurried off. Lydia turned back to the woman. "Before we ask you anything else, ma'am, could you first tell us your name?"

The woman nodded. "Of course. My name is Sera Frost-Vein."

"Well then, Sera, allow us to return the favor. My name is Lydia, this is Aela the Huntress, and this is Serana."

Once they had properly introduced themselves, Serana finally asked, "Sera...could you please tell us what happened in the market? Aeros said you just started screaming at him."

Sera's gaze darkened. She nodded. "Yes, that's right. I suppose to fully explain everything, I will need to start with what happened last night."

"My family lives on the eastern half on the border of Falkreath and Whiterun. We live a simple life, hunting and farming for what we need. For the most part, we are left undisturbed by the events of the world. Even the dragons leave us alone. Until last night that is."

"My husband, Havard, had just returned from a trip to Falkreath, with some food and supplies he had picked up in town. There wasn't any work that needed to be done that day, so we spent the day visiting with some of the few neighbors we have, and enjoying the good weather."

"That night though, a storm rolled in, a fierce one unlike any we've seen in years. The whole night, we could hear the wind howling and rain pounding against the walls of our house."

Serana, Lydia, and Aela shared a look. There hadn't been a storm over Whiterun last night, and if what Sera was saying was true, then they should have at least seen a storm of that magnitude off in the distance.

"During the middle of all this," Sera continued, "we suddenly heard something outside. It sounded like someone shouting, and all of a sudden, the storm outside stopped. Curious, Havard, the children, and I went outside to see what had happened. Once we were outside, we found that all around us, the storm had stopped. Looking up, there was a hole in the clouds, revealing the stars and the moons."

"And standing there, illuminated eerily by the moonlight, was a man, soaked and bedraggled, and wearing armor the likes of which we had never seen before. His face was in shadows, but he seemed a bit dazed and confused, so we asked if he needed help."

"The man looked at us, seeming to notice us for the first time. He asked in a low voice if we knew where he was."

"I didn't fully realize it at first, but there was a sinister edge to his voice, one that made me uneasy. I suddenly had an overwhelming urge to take the children, grab Havard, and run as far away from this man as we could."

Sera stopped and frowned. "Havard didn't pick up on my feelings, and told the man that he was in Skyrim, on the eastern edge of the Falkreath-Whiterun border. For some reason, that seemed to amuse the man, and he threw back his head and laughed."

"At that point, my youngest, my son Björn, asked the man if he was some kind of adventurer or hero. The man stopped laughing, and stepped more fully into the moonlight, allowing us to fully see his face."

"It was the same face as your friend, with cold, cruel eyes that seemed to pierce right through your soul. The man gave a short, mirthless laugh, and answered my son's question."

"'A hero?' he said. 'No, I stopped being a hero a long time ago.' With that, he grinned ominously. My husband finally realized something was wrong, and began stepping away from the man. But the man followed us."

"Havard told the man that we wanted no trouble, and to just take whatever he wanted and leave. But the man just laughed and told us he didn't care about valuables or loot. He just wanted to destroy everything."

"With that, the man, he...he _shouted _something, and the world erupted into fire. Our house was ablaze, the forest was on fire, and I could hear the children screaming behind me. And all the while, the man just laughed."

"We tried running away, but he easily kept up with us. Finally, my husband stopped, and holding his axe, told us to to run, that he would hold the man off. I didn't want to leave him, and told him so."

"'Go Sera!' he shouted at me. 'I'll hold him off as long as I can, buy you and the children a few minutes. Don't worry about me, I'll be fine!'"

"At that point, the man had caught up. Havard…" she broke off in a shuddering sob. As she wept, Tilma returned with a cup of tea. She gently handed it to the crying wife, and she hesitantly took it. Tilma smiled kindly at her and left.

Sera slowly took a sip of the tea, and it seemed to calm her slightly. She pulled herself together and continued.

"Havard charged at the man, swinging his axe. The man blocked it with ease, and spoke again. Whatever he said, it sent Havard flying through the air and crashing into a tree. But my husband, he still didn't give up. He got back to his feet and looked at me one last time."

"'GO!' he yelled, and I shamefully obeyed his command. I grabbed the children and fled, too afraid to look back in case I saw that _monster _coming after us."

She fell silent for several minutes after that, remembering the terror and pain of the night before.

"We ran all night," she said at last. "We never left the forest, in case he had tried following us on the road. Finally, we reached Whiterun, exhausted and terrified. When we were in the market, and I saw _him _just standing there with his back to us, all my fear and anger came rushing back."

"But that couldn't have been Aeros who attacked your home," Serana objected, shaking her head. "He would never do something like that. Besides, we've been here in Whiterun since yesterday morning, and he didn't leave our bed at any point last night."

"Serana's right," Lydia agreed. "My Thane never left the city yesterday or today."

"I know," Sera sighed. "I realize now that they are not the same person, but seeing your friend standing there, wearing that armor and carrying those swords, I was convinced it was the same man. And when he turned around...even their faces seemed similar."

"I will admit it seems suspicious," Aela said pensively. "Several things in your story are odd and don't seem to add up."

"No, I'm not saying you're lying," she said when Sera opened her mouth to argue. "It's just that this whole things stinks of magic."

At that point, the doors to Jorrvaskr opened, and Aeros entered the hall. He had removed his armor and weapons, and was once again wearing simple street clothes. He looked around the hall, and spotting them, began making his way over.

Sera tensed up as he approached, but Aeros just quietly sat down on the opposite side of the table from her. He said nothing for several long moments, but eventually lifted his head to look at Sera.

"I'm not here to kill you or your children, or bring you any harm," he said in a in a soft, kindly voice. "I swear by the Nine, I've never seen you or your family before in my life. All I want to know is what happened, and why you thought I was some murderer who attacked your family."

Sera gazed at him in silence. Finally, she nodded.

Serana, Lydia, and Aela recounted Sera's story to Aeros. Sera said nothing, just continued to watch Aeros closely. For his part, Aeros listened quietly, not interrupting or asking questions.

At last, when they had finished explaining things to him, he stood up and walked over to where Sera was sitting. He crouched down so that he was eye-level with her, and looked her square in the eyes. She was shocked to see a gentle light in his eyes, matched in equal parts by a steely determination.

"Sera," he said slowly. "Where exactly do you and your family live?"

Sera hesitated, but finally told him. He nodded and stood. He looked down at her. "I don't know who attacked you," he said resolutely, "or why they look like me. But I promise I'll find them, and I'll find your husband."

He glanced at the other three women, and they stood to join him. As he turned to leave, Sera stopped him.

"Just a moment," she said. Aeros stopped in surprise, and turned to glance questioningly at her.

"I wanted to apologize for attacking you earlier. I made a mistake. You and he might share the same face and voice, but yours are filled with kindness and compassion. Be careful, as _his _were not."

Aeros nodded in understanding.

Once they had left Jorrvaskr, Aeros stopped. He turned to face the three women.

"Aela, I need you to gather Vilkas and Farkas and meet Serana, Lydia, and I outside of the city gates in an hour. I also want you to see to it that room is made for Sera and the children to sleep in, and to make sure that they're looked after while we're gone."

Aela nodded, and left to find the twins, and spread the word to the other Companions about Aeros's request. Aeros directed his attention to Lydia.

"Lydia, I need you to gather up enough provision for several days in the wilderness. That includes tents and sleeping rolls, as well as an adequate supply of torches and lanterns. I have a feeling this search is going to happen mainly by night. Meanwhile, Serana and I will gather enough horses for everybody."

Lydia bowed her head. ""Yes, my Thane." She hurried off to do as he had directed.

Aeros and Serana made their way towards Breezehome, where Aeros had left his armor and swords, and where he had a large supply of potions and other gear.

"What are your thoughts on all this, Aeros?" Serana asked as they walked down the street.

"Honestly?" Aeros replied. "I don't know. I wouldn't be so concerned if this man was just somebody pretending to be me, and using my reputation to their advantage. Pissed? Annoyed? Sure, but not concerned. But the fact that this stranger can actually use the Voice is much more worrying. Not because of how people might act if they thought he was me, but because of what he might actually do with an ability like that. The last man with that sort of power was Ulfric Stormcloak, and he used it to set off an entire civil war. This man's already attacked an innocent family, just because they happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. We need to find him and put a stop to him before he can cause any more damage."

Once they reached Breezehome, Aeros immediately began putting on his armor and gathering things they might need for this little hunt of theirs. He grabbed a large number of healing, magicka, and stamina potions, as well as a few paralysis poisons, putting them all inside a bag. He also grabbed his crossbow, along with multiple quivers, several of which were filled with some of Sorine's enchanted, exploding bolts. Once he and Serana had everything they needed, he strapped his swords to his back and they left the house.

The sun was setting by the time Lydia and the Companions arrived at the gate where Aeros and Serana were waiting with half a dozen horses. As they approached, Aeros noticed a fifth figure with them. When they drew closer, he was shocked and a more than a little unhappy to see that it was Aleiane.

Once they had stopped in front of him and Seran, he asked angrily, "Why is she here?" He motioned to Aleiane, who frowned at him. "I said to bring Vilkas and Farkas only."

Aela shrugged helplessly. "And so I was. But she overheard me explaining things to them, and insisted on coming. I tried to dissuade her, but the girl's more stubborn than a troll who sees a free meal."

Aeros sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose. "Fine, she can come. But," he directed his words at Aleiane, "don't do anything rash. This isn't some training exercise, or animal extermination. We don't know what we're up against."

"Don't worry, Harbinger, I won't," Aleiane said brightly.

"Besides," she added, "it's not like I'm you." She grinned cheekily, and despite his irritation, Aeros felt the corner of his mouth twitch. No doubt about it, this one was definitely a favorite of Aela's.

That settled, everyone mounted up. Since they had only expected six people, Aleiane had to ride with Aela, but neither seemed too upset about it.

"Alright," Aeros said once he had everyone's attention. "It will probably be dark by the time we reach the farm, so as soon as we get there, I want torches out and lit, and for everyone to stay close. We're going to search the farm for any sign of this mysterious stranger and Sera's husband. From there...well, we'll see what happens."

He spun his horse around, facing it towards the road. "Come on!" he cried, setting off at a gallop. The others hurried to follow him, and soon they were all racing off along the roads of Skyrim, as the sun set and darkness began to take hold.

* * *

Author's Notes: And here's the next arc, "When the Dragon Breaks!" I've been looking forward to writing this one, as it allows me the chance to use several ideas I've had in the back of my head.

As for the plot of this arc...well, I'm sure a fair number have already figured it out from just this chapter alone. As for those of you who haven't...I'm not telling! You'll just have to wait for the next couple chapters to find out.

Regarding this chapter though, I figured I'd elaborate on a few things.

First, about how Aela and Serana constantly poke fun at Aeros, the mighty Dragonborn. The reason they do this so often, is because it's hard to see someone as a living legend when you've seen them behave like a normal person and during all stages of life (read: stumbling around naked trying to get his clothes on in the morning, and being sat on by mammoths.) So naturally, since they see Aeros as nothing more than a regular human being, they constantly find opportunities to harass him and laugh at his mistakes.

Second, Serana _definitely _cheats when she and Aeros fight. Think about Serana's character and personality, and what she might do if she wanted to distract the man she's in love with during a fight where she and him are in close quarters. Now, tell me how that's not cheating.

Feel free to point out any mistakes I might have made, and don't be afraid to leave a review!

Characters:

Adrianne Avenicci: One of the local blacksmiths in Whiterun. While she admits she isn't as good as Eorlund Grey-Mane, that doesn't stop her from trying to be the best she can.

Halldis: Adrianne's apprentice. Added by the Inconsequential NPC's mod on the Nexus.

Ulfberth War-Bear: Adrianne's husband. He helps her run the shop, the Warmaiden's.

Proventus Avenicci: Jarl Balgruuf's steward, and the father of Adrianne. He also serves as a close advisor to Balgruuf.

Carlotta Valentia: A merchant in Whiterun. She runs a stall where she sells fruits and vegetables. Despite the many advances of the men in Whiterun, she is only interested in caring for her daughter, Mila.

Tilma the Haggard: Maid for the Companions. Tilma has been working for the Companions as long as anyone can remember, but despite her age, she shows no inclination of stopping.

Ria: A member of the Companions. Before the arrival of the Dragonborn, she was the newest member.

Sera Frost-Vein: OC. The wife of Havard Frost-Veins. Her and her family were recently attacked by a stranger, and she was forced to take her children and flee. When they arrived in Whiterun, she attacked Aeros, mistaking him for the man who had attacked them.

Birgitte: OC. The oldest of Sera's and Havard's children. A fair-haired girl around fourteen years of age.

Estrild: OC. The younger of the Frost-Veins' daughters, she is around nine years old.

Björn: OC. Sera's youngest, and her only son. He is five years old.

Havard Frost-Vein: OC. Sera's husband. When their family was attacked, he stayed behind in order to buy his wife and children some time. Sera has not seen him since.

Dragon Language:

Kaan Drem Ov = Kyne Peace Trust


	29. When the Dragon Breaks 2

"_What have you become, when even nightmares fear you?"_ — Nessa, _Path of Exile_

"_There is darkness inside all of us, though mine is more dangerous than most. Still, we all have it—that part of our soul that is irreparably damaged by the very trials and tribulations of life. We are what we are because of it, or perhaps in spite of it. Some use it as a shield to hide behind, others as an excuse to do unconscionable things. But, truly, the darkness is simply a piece of the whole, neither good nor evil unless you make it so."_ — Jenna Maclaine

* * *

When the Dragon Breaks 2

Aeros and the others arrived at the Frost-Veins' farm just as night fell. In the failing light, they could see all that remained was ruins. The farm was nothing but ashes, and the stables had been burnt to the ground. The house itself was a blackened shell, still smoking. Even some of the surrounding trees had been reduced to charred skeletons.

They all dismounted, tying their horses to some of the few trees that survived the catastrophe. Once the horses were secured, they all lit their torches and began picking their way through the wreckage, searching for any signs of Havard or the stranger. It was slow going, as they had to be careful not to trip over anything in the dark. Finally, Aela turned to Aeros.

"Aeros, I know you don't want to, but perhaps we should split into pairs, that way we can cover more ground," she suggested. "The longer we spend searching, the less the chances of survival for Sera's husband."

Aeros frowned, reluctant to split into smaller groups, but finally agreed. They began splitting into pairs, until Aeros realized something.

"We're an odd number," he realized aloud. "One of the groups is going to have to be a group of three." Before he could decide who would be part of that group, Serana spoke up.

"No need," she said. "Just have everyone else split into pairs."

"And what about you?" Aeros asked. He had a good idea of what she was going to suggest and didn't like it.

"I'll stay by myself," Serana replied. Aeros started to object, but she stopped him.

"It makes sense, Aeros," she said calmly. "Out of all of us, I have the best night vision, even compared to when you're transformed. I'm also the quietest of us all and have no problem slipping in and out of shadows. While the rest of you search the surrounding area by torchlight, I can search the shadows. Maybe if we're lucky, I might spot something the rest of you missed, or if this stranger is still around, maybe he'll be drawn to the torchlight and I can sneak up on him, or at least warn the rest of you."

Aeros looked for an argument he could make, but she was right. Plus, she was more than capable of defending herself.

"Fine," he said begrudgingly. "But don't do anything rash."

Serana smiled sweetly and kissed him on the cheek. "Don't worry, I won't," she said reassuringly. "That's what I have you for." She winked at him before disappearing into the shadows.

Everyone else split up into pairs. The twins stuck together, and Aleiane went with Aela, while Aeros and Lydia partnered up, easily falling back into a familiar pattern of things.

Everyone moved a ways off from each other and once again began searching the farm.

After another half hour of fruitless scouring, they all agreed to expand the search to the surrounding forest, since that was where Sera had said she had last seen Havard, when he had tried to hold off their attacker.

The forest was even darker than the farm, and to Aeros and Lydia, it felt like the shadows were continuously trying to creep in on their small circle of light.

While carefully avoiding roots and low-hanging branches, they found something; tracks.

Aeros crouched down to get a better look, examining them worriedly. Lydia also took a look, craning her head over Aeros's shoulder to get a better look.

"Are those-?" she began to ask.

"Werewolf tracks," Aeros confirmed grimly. "Big ones too. And they can't be more than a day or two old. The odd thing is, I can't pick up a scent."

"Nothing at all?" Lydia asked with surprise. Aeros shook his head.

"No, it's not that. There's definitely a scent, but I can't seem to pick up on it exactly, All I'm left with is a vague feeling that it's somehow familiar.

The two of them shared worried glances, but before they could discuss it more, a shout was raised nearby from Aela and Aleiane.

Aeros and Lydia hurried over, along with the twins, while Serana appeared seemingly out of nowhere to see what they had found.

They found Aela and Aleiane crouched down next to a limp body lying against the base of a tree. As they drew closer, the others saw that it was a Nord, a man.

Aeros crouched down next to Aela and Aleiane, and realized that the man was covered in multiple deep cuts and lacerations, and looked like he might even have several broken bones.

"Is he…?" Aeros started to ask before stopping.

Aela shook her head. "No. He's not dead yet, although he's damn close to it."

She looked over at Aeros. "Can you do anything about this?"

Aeros shrugged uncertainly. "I'm not sure. He looks like he's lost a lot of blood, other injuries aside, and in the state he's in, I doubt we'd be able to get a potion down him. That means I'll have to use restoration magic. But I'm not an expert in this school of magic, and I'm nowhere near as good as someone like Colette or a priest. Still, I should be able to stabilize him, at least enough to get him out of here, but it'll take time."

Aleiane spoke up at this point. "I'll help too," she said, causing Aeros to raise an eyebrow at her in surprise. She explained further, "We lived in a dangerous portion of High Rock, so my mother made it a point to teach me some minor healing spells, in case I was ever on my own and got hurt."

Aeros mentally kicked himself. He couldn't believe that he had forgotten about Aleiane's Breton bloodline. Bretons were known for their natural aptitude for magic. He made a mental note to start teaching Aleiane when they got back to Whiterun. Perhaps he could even convince Danica Pure-Spring or Farengar to continue her lessons when he was not in Whiterun.

If he could teach her how to actually use magic, Aleiane would be a tremendous boon to the Companions. Probably due to their Nordic roots, the Companions were renowned for their skill in combat. However, magic was the one area in which they were severely lacking. The fact that they hadn't gotten their asses handed to them yet by a mage or group of mages was probably due to sheer luck as much as it was to skill.

Still, those were thoughts for another time. He nodded to Aleiane. "Alright. The more healers, the faster this process will go." He looked back up at the others. "While we're healing Havard, I need the rest of you to keep searching for this man, whoever he is. Remember, he can use Shouts, so if you do spot him, try not to engage. Just keep an eye on him, or fall back here."

The others nodded, dispersing back into the surrounding woods. Aeros turned back to the task at hand.

Seeing as they were going to need both hands for this healing, Aeros extinguished both torches, setting them against the tree. Focusing a small amount of magicka in his hand, he cast a magelight spell, directing it so that the little orb of light floated in the space between the two of them.

He motioned to Aleiane. "Kneel over there on the opposite side of him from me." She did as he directed, and he began explaining how a healing worked. "Now, I'm assuming you've never healed someone other than yourself, or worked with other healers?" She shook her head. "Alright then. There are two main problems with multiple healers working on the same patient. The first is that magic tends to work on different wavelengths or frequencies. It's very rare for two mages to be able to cast magic at the same frequency without practicing first. So if if their magic isn't in sync it can cause the spells to cancel each other out or for the healers to inadvertently wind up in a contest of wills. Still following me?"

Aleiane nodded. "I think so."

"Good. Now, to prevent that, it's important for the spells to be at the same frequency. That means that I'm going to need you to focus on harmonizing your magic with mine." He paused to let that sink in.

"Now, the second issue is overlap. It's incredibly easy for multiple healers to try to heal the same spot, simply because they don't realize it's already been gone over. It's not as big of an issue as the first problem, as it doesn't cause any adverse effects to the patient, but it can lead to a huge waste of magicka, which can be an issue later on if the healing takes a long time."

"So, to make sure that doesn't happen, we'll divide roles. I'll focus on the more major and life-threatening injuries while you take care of the more minor ones, which should also work better for the amount of magicka you can draw on. Got it?"

"Got it," Aleiane replied, her face set in determination.

"Good," Aeros said, gathering magicka in his hands. "Let me know if you feel like you're running out of magicka; I have a number of magicka potions you can use to recharge."

With that, the two of them got to work. It was slow going. Aeros first healed the more visible life-threatening injuries, including a jagged tear across Havard's stomach, and what looked like a stab wound that had just barely missed his lungs. The fact that the man was even still alive was a testament to the stubbornness of Nords.

After those injuries were healed, he used his magic to delve inside the man's body, checking to see if there were any damaged organs. It looked like the cut on his stomach had avoided slicing his intestines, which was a good thing. A tear in those and there would have been a serious risk of infection. However, there seemed to be some substantial internal bleeding. He healed the source of the injury first. He then tried to disperse the blood as best he could, but it was difficult to heal internal injuries without actually being able to see them.

Next was the stab wound, which looked as if it had nicked Havard's left lung, causing blood to slowly leak in. He dispersed the blood first, so that Havard didn't drown in his own blood. After that, he focused on healing the actual cut, making sure the new tissue wasn't weaker than the rest of the lung, as that would make it liable to tear open again.

Once he was certain there was no more internal bleeding, he moved on to knitting back together the Nord's broken bones. In addition to suffering substantial injuries elsewhere, he also had numerous broken bones, some shattered in several places. If Sera's story was to be believed, then the broken bones were no doubt the result of being hit with one or several Thu'ums. Aeros had seen firsthand what his Unrelenting Force was capable of doing to people caught in its path.

Meanwhile, Aleiane worked at healing the man's other injuries, slowly healing his various cuts and wounds. She was concentrating more than she ever had, as a result of trying to maintain the spell and trying to keep her magic on the same frequency as Aeros's. A couple times, as the healing dragged on, her magic began to falter, but Aeros would hand her a potion, and after gulping it down, she was able to continue.

It was grueling work, and Aeros and Aleiane drained through several potions, but after over an hour and a half, they were done. They had healed everything they could, and it seemed to them as if Havard was breathing a little more easily, although he was still unconscious.

As they ceased the flow of magicka, they both nearly collapsed from exhaustion. Aeros tiredly reached over and handed Aleiane a stamina potion to help them get their breath back. At that point, the others begin to return.

"How is he?" Serana asked, seeing they were finished.

"Better," Aeros sighed. "We've healed most of his injuries, although not to the extent that I'd like. Unfortunately, there's not much more Aleiane or I can do with our level of skill. He's still unconscious, but I suppose that's probably a result of trauma.

He slowly climbed to his feet. "Right now, the only thing we can do is wait for him to wake up. Did you manage to find any sign of the stranger?" he asked them.

All five of them shook their heads.

"Nothing," Aela said. "We couldn't find any sign of someone else being around, and no clues as to where the Frost-Veins' attacker might have gone. However…"

"What?" Aeros asked. "You found something didn't you, Aela?"

She nodded. "While we were searching, I did come across some tracks. They looked as if they might have belonged to a werewolf, although it was hard to tell, as they were partially erased by rain."

Aeros knitted his brows in worry. "Lydia and I also came across tracks like that, and they definitely came from a werewolf, a large one at that." He glanced over at Aela. "Have you heard anything about werewolves moving into the area?"

She shook her head. "Nothing. And if there was a werewolf so close to where the Frost-Veins were living, I would have thought either Sera or Havard would have noticed it.

"Hmm…" Aeros said, frowning. "Did you at least manage to get a scent?" he asked. "I tried to earlier, but I couldn't really make it out."

She gave him an odd look before replying. "I did manage to get a scent, but that's the odd part," she said slowly. "It smelled like-"

"Harbinger!" Farkas interrupted. When they glanced at him, he pointed to the stretch of forest behind them. Following his direction, they turned and found two glowing red eyes staring malevolently at them from the darkness. A low, bestial growl emanated.

"Serana," Aeros said quietly, not taking his eyes off of the glowing orbs. "Can you make out what it is?"

Serana stared intently at the beast, before nodding. "Yes," she replied in a whisper. "It's a lycanthrope, a werewolf. It looks like it's maybe seven, eight feet in height. Beyond that, I can't make out much; you all look alike in that form."

Aeros nodded. "Aela, is that the same one you smelled earlier?" he asked.

Aela grimaced. "Yes," she said tersely. "But that's what I was trying to tell you. The scent is…"

Abruptly, the eyes disappeared, and they could hear the sound of the wolf speeding off into the woods.

Aeros swore. "No you don't!" he growled, sprinting forward.

"Aeros, wait!" Aela said, trying to stop him. "There's no way you can keep up with him on foot, and it's too dark for us to move safely through the forest on horseback."

"Which is why I'll just have to follow his example," Aeros replied shortly. "You can track us both by scent, can't you? Just follow along as quickly as you can."

With that, he hunched over, drawing on his beast blood. He felt the power surge through his body, and heard a loud crack as his bones broke and reshaped themselves. He could feel fur sprouting from his hide, and his mouth extending into a muzzle, lips drawn tight over razor sharp canines, while his nails lengthened into claws. At the same time, his senses increased tenfold. The forest was suddenly illuminated in a pale light, as clear as day to him, and his ears were filled with the nighttime sounds of the forest. His nose twitched as it picked up a multitude of smells.

He focused on the one he had smelled earlier, the one he was unable to place exactly, but smelled vaguely familiar to him, as if he had smelled it before.

"Keep...close…" he growled, before digging his claws into the loamy forest floor and launching himself forward.

Aeros pelted through the forest, chasing after the other wolf as fast as he could As he followed the scent through the undergrowth, ducking under grasping branches and leaping over fallen trees, he began to close the gap between them. Finally, through the shadows, he could make out a furred shape, flitting through the trees ahead, just barely at the edge of his vision. He put on an even greater burst of speed, but it seemed as if his prey knew what he was doing, and also sped up.

At last, after a seemingly endless chase, Aeros emerged at the edge of a clearing. The clearing was almost perfectly circular, stretching for a hundred feet or so before merging back into the forest.

Aeros skidded to a stop, looking around, but there was no sign of the other werewolf. He growled in frustration. How could the other wolf had gotten away from him?

Suddenly, movement at the other end of the clearing caught his eye. From the opposite side, a wolf emerged from the shadows, prowling into the open. The other wolf stopped about fifty feet away, and stared challengingly at him. Aeros growled, as did the other wolf, the hackles on their backs raising.

The other werewolf was similar to Aeros in height, standing close to eight feet tall when upright. Its fur, like Aeros's was a a jet-black color. Unlike Aeros though, whose eyes glowed a burnished gold, this wolf's eyes glowed a deep, malevolent crimson, giving off an intense feeling of bloodlust.

The two of them continued to glare threateningly at each other, refusing to back down.

Abruptly, the form of the other wolf blurred, and in its place stood a man. Aeros's eyes narrowed in suspicion, but he followed suit, shifting back into his human form.

He felt the weight of his armor and weapons settle back on him as he finished the transition. It had taken him a while after he first gained the beast blood to actually manage the transformation back with his clothes and armor still on. There had been numerous instances in the beginning where he had found himself standing stark naked with his armor scattered around his feet, to Aela's amusement.

The other man was also wearing armor, which showed that he was experienced with transformations. As to what the armor was, Aeros couldn't be certain, as the moons were currently hidden behind the clouds, and the entire forest was blanketed in shadows.

The man didn't move, although Aeros continued to feel the pressure of his gaze on him.

"Who are you?" he asked. But the other man remained silent, continuing to watch Aeros.

Aeros exhaled angrily. "You're the one who attacked the Frost-Veins, aren't you?" he demanded. But again, the man didn't respond. The silence stretched on for several minutes before Aeros finally became fed up.

"Fine then," he snapped. "If you won't answer me willingly, then I'll force the answers out of you if I need to!"

These words seemed to finally elicit a response out of the man, although it was not one that Aeros expected. The man, hearing Aeros's angry threat, threw back his head and laughed, his whole body shaking from amusement.

Aeros grit his teeth, but managed to restrain himself, waiting until the man had finished.

At last, the man stopped laughing, returning his gaze to Aeros. He finally spoke.

"Oblivion, I never change, do I?" he said aloud, almost to himself. Aeros didn't respond, trying to puzzle out the meaning of the man's words.

The man took a step forward. "It would seem you need a lesson in humility," he said arrogantly.

Angered at the man's arrogant attitude, Aeros took a deep breath before vocalizing all of his anger and fury.

"FUS RO DAH!" he shouted with the full force of his Thu'um.

However, from the opposite side of the clearing, his Shout was echoed. The force of his Thu'um was met by another in the center of the clearing. The two Shouts crashed together in a collision of raw energy, canceling each other out and dissipating.

Aeros was stunned. Not only could the other man Shout, which was troubling in of itself, but his Thu'um was strong enough to match that of Aeros's, the Dragonborn. He couldn't think of a single being that could even hope to accomplish such a thing, besides the dragons.

"Who...are you?" he whispered, shocked beyond belief. He couldn't see it in the darkness, but he could sense the other man grinning in response to his question.

"I can be so slow sometimes," the man said with a shake of his head, again muttering nonsensical things. "Have you really not figured it out yet?"

He stepped forward again, and up above the clouds shifted, allowing the moon to shine through. Its light bathed them both and Aeros felt the ground beneath him tilt as all the breath in his body left him.

The other man was wearing the same armor as him, plate armor crafted from dragon bones. Even the swords poking out from behind his back looked to be forged from dragon bones. But what preoccupied Aeros's attention was the other man's face.

It was _his _face, the one he saw every time he looked in the mirror or saw his reflection in a pond. There were a few dissimilarities. There were scars that he didn't recall, and a sneer that seemed permanently fixed on his lips. The biggest difference though, was that there was a hard edge to the other man's face, a harshness to his features that Aeros himself lacked. But those were minor flaws, unable to change the fact that it _was _Aeros's face staring back at him.

"No…" he whispered in disbelief.

The other him smirked mirthlessly, his eyes glinting coldly.

"Who am I?" the man asked, repeating Aeros's earlier question. He spread his arms dramatically. "Why, I'm _you_. Aeros Dragons-Bane, Dragonborn, Dovahkiin, the supposed savior of the world."

Aeros shook his head in disbelief, unable to even comprehend what the other man was saying. "How is something like that even possible?" he muttered. It went against everything natural in the world.

The other Aeros laughed at him. "Deny it all you want," he said with amusement. "But I speak the truth. You and I are one and the same. The only difference is the timelines we come from."

Aeros shook his head in denial, not wanting to believe it. Deep down though, he realized the truth of it.

"If we are not the same person, then explain how it is we are wearing the same armor and equipment?"

"Coincidence," Aeros growled. The other him acknowledged that with a nod of his head.

"True, that is a possibility," he admitted. "But that doesn't explain how you and I share the same face and voice. We both know that's difficult to accomplish even with magic. And even if it is a trick, how else do you explain what just happened when we Shouted at each other, when our Thu'ums canceled each other out? Who else has a Voice powerful enough to do that?"

"If we're the same person," Aeros said tightly, barely managing to rein in his anger. "Then how the hell could you have attacked an innocent family like the Frost-Veins? I would never do that!"

The other Aeros smiled cruelly. "I said it before, didn't I?" he said sardonically. "I'm you, from a different timeline. I'm what you would have become if you had taken different choices or if events had gone differently. As for that family of farmers, the Frost-Veins or whatever you called them…" He shrugged callously. "Well, they just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. Although I will admit, they provided more sport than I've had in a long time."

"You-!" Aeros snarled, his hands reaching for the hilts of his swords. His doppelganger mirrored his movements, reaching for his own swords.

Before things were able to escalate any further, both of them heard the sound of footsteps hurrying towards them. Within a few moments, Serana, Lydia, Aela, Vilkas, and Farkas burst out of the forest, coming to a stop besides Aeros. All five of them froze, eyes wide as they saw a mirror image of Aeros standing across the clearing from them.

The doppelganger smirked at the sight of Aeros's bewildered companions.

"I see you've done a better job than I did in keeping your friends and loved ones alive," he noted. His face twisted into a sneer as he added, "That'll change soon enough."

His hand left the handle of his sword suddenly, releasing the magicka that had built up there unbeknownst to them. A large fireball zoomed towards them. Reacting instinctively, Aeros brought his own hands up, forming a ward.

The fireball crashed into the ward and exploded violently, obscuring their vision. When the smoke cleared and they were able to see again, the man was gone.

* * *

Author's Notes: Yep, so here's chapter two of When the Dragon Breaks. I'll admit, this was an idea I've had for a long time. We all know that by the time you hit level 60 or so in Skyrim, you are essentially a walking god, with very few things that actually pose a threat to you. So part of the main idea of this arc, is what would happen if your opponent was _you_?

Of course, it goes beyond that. The "dark" Aeros isn't a version of Aeros that was evil from the very start, murdering chickens and shouting guards off of cliffs, at least not in the beginning. Rather, he's more of a "what would have happened to the Dragonborn if something had gone differently, if things hadn't turned out so well?" But I'll expand more on that in later chapters.

And in case any of you want to try and say that this scenario breaks the lore, all I'm going to say is: It's absolutely possible within the lore. I'm not going to explain how, at least not yet, but it's definitely possible.

Characters:

Danica Pure-Spring: A priestess of Kynareth. She asks for your help in restoring the Gildergreen by retrieving the sap of the Eldergleam, the oldest living thing in Skyrim.

Farengar Secret-Fire: The court wizard of Jarl Balgruuf, with a fascination for dragons. Upon your capture of Odahviing, he attempts some *ahem* ill-advised experiments.

Dragon Language:

Fus Ro Dah = Force Balance Push (Unrelenting Force Shout)


	30. When the Dragon Breaks 3

"_People assume that time is a strict progression of cause to effect, but actually, from a non-linear, non-subjective viewpoint, it's more like a big ball of wibbly-wobbly, timey-wimey stuff."_ — The Tenth Doctor

"_He who fights monsters should see to it that in the process he does not become a monster. For if you gaze for long into an abyss, the abyss gazes also into you."_ — Friedrich Nietzsche

"_There is blood on my hands, how long till it lies on my heart?"_ — Denam Pavel, _Tactics Ogre: Let Us Cling Together_

* * *

When the Dragon Breaks 3

The clearing was dead quiet after the disappearance of the doppelganger. No one spoke for a long time, still shocked at what they had just witnessed. Finally, Vilkas broke the silence, voicing all of their thoughts.

"Harbinger…" he said hesitantly. "What in Oblivion just happened? That man...he looked just like you..."

Aeros stared at the spot where the other him had stood just moments before. He was quiet for a long time, lost in a confusing maelstrom of thoughts.

At last, he turned to face the others. Slowly, haltingly, he explained his encounter with the stranger as best as he could, still struggling to wrap his own mind around it. As he got to the part where the man had claimed to be the same person, Serana interrupted.

"Wait," she said, shaking her head in incomprehension. "He said that you're both the same person? How is something like that possible?"

Aeros shook his head. "I don't know," he admitted. "I want to say that he was lying, but I can't shake the feeling that he might have been telling the truth. You saw him for yourself, he didn't just _look _like me, he _was _me. Not only that, but his Thu'um was able to match mine, something no living person that I know of is capable of doing."

Aela spoke up at this point. "He's right," she said. They all looked at her in surprise. "That's what I wanted to talk to you about earlier," she said to Aeros. "I did pick up a scent back there, but it was _your _scent. I was convinced I was wrong or that I had made a mistake, but after what we just saw, it all makes sense."

"Do you want to go after him, Harbinger?" Vilkas asked. "He doesn't have that much of a head start on us, we can still catch him. Maybe we can force some more answers out of him, make him explain things to us."

Aeros hesitated. He wanted some answers as to what was going on, but at the same time…

"No," he decided. "There's no guarantee that we'll catch him, and we can't just leave Havard behind. Speaking of which, what happened to him? Please tell me you didn't just leave him there unconscious?"

"Don't worry, my Thane," Lydia said reassuringly. "We left Aleiane with him and the horses."

Aeros nodded. "Good. But we better hurry back. We don't know where the doppelganger went, and the last thing we want is for him to run across Aleiane by herself."

The others nodded in agreement, and they hurried back the way they came. Fortunately, when they arrived back at what was left of the farm, Aleiane and Havard were unharmed. The young Companion had readied the horses, and was currently checking on Havard. She jumped to her feet as she noticed their return.

"What happened?" she asked. "Did you manage to catch that other werewolf?"

"I'll explain later," Aela said, before Aeros could answer the girl's questions. "Right now, I think it's best to not stick around waiting for him to come back. We should probably return to Whiterun as fast as we can.

Aeros nodded in agreement. "We'll have the healers take a look at Havard and notify Sera. Once that's done, we can decide on our next course of action."

They gathered their gear and prepared to leave. There was some discussion about what to do with Havard, as he was still unconscious. In the end, they tied him to the back of the saddle behind Farkas, since they didn't want to risk him falling off during the rough ride ahead of them.

As they set off to leave, Aeros turned towards Aela. "Do you mind explaining things to Aleiane?" he asked. "She's a part of this now, for better or worse, and I need her up to speed on everything that's happened."

Aela nodded. "Of course. I'll fill her in as we ride. Although, it looks like I have a little extra explaining to do."

Aeros glanced questioningly at her. She sighed.

"Aeros, you transformed in front of her. Did you really think she wasn't going to have any questions?"

"You mean she didn't already know about the Circle?" Aeros asked in surprise.

"No, you horker-brain. She suspected, but she didn't know for certain. The pact with Hircine is a secret, remember? Very few ever find out about it, and definitely not someone so new. The fact that you yourself found out so early was a fluke."

"Oh," Aeros said in embarrassment. He had assumed that Aleiane had already known about the beast blood, and so hadn't given his actions a second thought when he had transformed to chase after the stranger. In hindsight, that hadn't been the most thought out of plans.

Aela merely chuckled and mounted her horse, pulling Aleiane up behind her.

Once everyone was in the saddle and ready, Aeros turned his horse towards the road. He kicked his feet in the stirrups, and with the others behind him, raced headlong down the road, back towards Whiterun.

They set a blistering pace, eating up the miles. Finally though, they had to slow down for a while, for fear that their horses might collapse. Serana used this opportunity to fall back and join Aeros at the end of the line, where he had moved to not long after they set off.

"All right," she said as she rode alongside him. "What's up?"

Aeros looked over at her in surprise. He hadn't even noticed her presence. "What do you mean?" he asked.

"You've been much too quiet," Serana replied. "You've barely said a word since we left the farm. What's going on in that head of yours?"

Aeros shrugged. "I wish I could tell you, but right now, my thoughts are such a confused and chaotic mess, that I don't really know how to explain them."

"Try," Serana suggested. She was concerned about him, as she knew all of them were. And she knew from experience that if he didn't let it all out and talk with someone, his thoughts would continue to eat away at him.

He sighed heavily. "It's just...I want desperately to be able to deny what the other me said, to just say it's a bunch of lies. But at the same time, I know it's the truth. And that leaves me worrying, what if I become like that? What if I start to revel in my own power, and use it for my own enjoyment, killing for sport?"

"You won't," Serana said gently. "We won't let you. That's the difference between you and him. You have friends to pull you back from that edge, to make sure you don't go down the wrong path. That other you? He doesn't."

Aeros was silent for a long time, mulling over her words. Finally though, his shoulders relaxed, some of the tension bleeding out of them.

"Thanks, Serana," he said at last. "That helps. But I'm still trying to figure out how on Nirn any of this is possible. How can there possibly be another me, and how could he have just appeared out of nowhere?"

"We'll figure it out," Serana said confidently. "We always do."

"I hope so," he said quietly, almost too softly for Serana to hear. "But why do I have this horrible feeling that the worst has just begun?"

* * *

\- Whiterun -

They reached Whiterun early in the morning, before the sun had even risen above the horizon. They had set a hard pace, riding through the night, and when they finally reached the city stables, their horses' sides were heaving and foam flecked their chests.

Leaving it to the bleary-eyed stable master and his apprentices to handle the horses, the seven of them hurried through the city gates. Once inside, Serana and Lydia took the still unconscious Havard, and headed off towards the Temple of Kynareth. There, they woke up the head priestess, Danica Pure-Spring and asked her to take a look at the comatose Nord, giving a vague explanation of what happened, not wanting to attempt to explain everything that had happened in the forest.

Meanwhile, Aela, Aleiane, and the twins headed up to Jorrvaskr. Inside, they found Tilma and asked her where the Frost-Veins were sleeping. She took them to the living quarters of the Companions and pointed towards a room near the end of the hall. Aela thanked her for her help, and led the others towards the room Tilma had indicated.

Quietly opening the door, the four of them saw that Sera and her children were sound asleep in one bed. There were other beds, but it was obvious that the family had not wanted to be separated at a time like this.

Not making a sound, Aela quietly entered the room and gently shook Sera's shoulder. The woman's eyes slowly opened and fixed on Aela. Speaking in a whisper, Aela told Sera that they had found Havard, and that he was alive. Sera's eyes widened at the news.

"Where is he?" she asked in a similar whisper. "Can we see him?"

"He's with the healers right now," Aela explained. "In the Temple of Kynareth. You can go see him if you want to, but he might not be conscious yet."

"I don't care," Sera replied. "I need to see my husband and make sure he's alright."

She gently shook the children awake, and told them that their father was in Whiterun. Her oldest, Birgitte, was soon fully awake, eyes wide in excitement. The younger two though, Estrild and Björn, were still half-asleep, so Sera and Birgitte helped them get dressed, continuing to explain things in murmurs.

Once the family was fully dressed, Aela stepped aside to let them through the doorway. "Follow us," she said, leading the way.

* * *

\- Dragonsreach -

While the others had gone to take care of Havard and retrieve Sera, Aeros had immediately headed up to Dragonsreach. Despite the fact that the sun wasn't even out yet, the guards let him in without any trouble. Inside he made his way to the quarters of the court mage, Farengar, and shook the man awake.

Once he had Farengar's attention, he briefly explained the situation to him. His story quickly aroused Farengar's curiosity, and he began rapidly asking questions.

Aeros answered his questions as best he could, even retelling the Frost-Veins' encounter with the doppelganger. Once he had finished, he asked Farengar to begin digging through his books and see if he could find anything that might relate to the subject.

While Farengar was doing that, Aeros borrowed a basin and filled it with water. Focusing, he muttered a few words and cast a spell.

Ripples spread across the surface of the water, distorting his reflection, before smoothing out once more. Once the water had settled though, it was not Aeros's reflection that appeared anymore, or even Dragonsreach. Instead, it showed a very different place, with stone walls and floors, illuminated by both candles and magical mean.

Searching the room appearing in the basin, Aeros spotted the person he had hoped for. Standing with his back to Aeros, was an elderly Nord. His hair was white with age, its braids almost touching the collar of his robes. The older Nord seemed to be bent over an arcane enchanter, muttering to himself.

"Tolfdir," Aeros said loudly. The mage didn't seemed to hear him, so he raised his voice even more. "Tolfdir!"

"Hmm...What?" the mage said, startled, before turning around. He noticed Aeros's image, which was likely being projected in a mirror or something similar.

"Arch-Mage!" he said warmly. "What a pleasant surprise! What can I do for you?"

"Hello, Tolfdir," Aeros replied. "I have a problem that I was hoping you could help me figure out."

"But of course. What is the problem?"

Aeros explained the entire situation to him, starting with the events in the marketplace and ending with what had happened in the forest clearing.

"So what I want to know, is how could something like this even be possible?" he finished. "Is there a way that someone could make a...well, for lack of a better word, a copy of me? Or could this doppelganger have been telling the truth? And if so, how?"

"Hmm…" Tolfdir said pensively, "This is quite the conundrum, Arch-Mage. In all my years, I have never heard of something like this."

Aeros's shoulders sagged. "Wonderful," he sighed.

"Have you tried asking Phinis?" the older mage suggested. "Perhaps this could be somehow related to conjuration or the realms of Oblivion."

"I haven't tried contacting him yet," Aeros said with a shake of his head. "I figured I would start with you, since you're the most experienced and learned mage that I know."

"I see," Tolfdir said. "Then I'll go find him, and see if we can put our heads together and come up with a possible explanation for your problem."

"I don't think I can maintain this spell for that long," Aeros pointed out.

Tolfdir nodded in understanding. "I understand. Well, while we try to find an answer on our end, you can do the same on your end. We will contact you if we find anything."

"Sounds like a good idea," Aeros agreed. "Very well then. Thank you for your help, Tolfdir."

"Anytime, Arch-Mage," Tolfdir said in return. Aeros waved his hand over the basin, ending the spell.

Leaving the basin where it was, in case the College tried to contact him again, Aeros began helping Farengar go through various books and tomes to see if they could find an answer.

However, even after hours of searching, and exhausting every possible source of information, the two of them were still unable to find anything.

"Gods damn it!" Aeros swore in frustration. They had gone through everything related to magic in any shape or form, and had still not found anything. Books were lying in piles and on every possible surface all across the room, and yet not one of them could tell them what they were looking for.

"Fascinating!" Farengar said from the other end of the room. "A phenomenon with no previous occurrence or predecessor. This would make for quite the study."

Aeros was contemplating chucking a book at his head when a voice emanated from the basin of water.

"Arch-Mage?" came Tolfdir's voice.

Aeros hurried over to the basin. Reflected in the surface of the water, he saw Tolfdir, Phinis, and to his surprise, Urag gro-Shub, the Arcanaeum librarian, staring back at him.

"Did you find anything?" Aeros asked.

"Possibly," Tolfdir said. "I found Phinis here, and proposed your problem to him. He seemed quite interested, and we began discussing the possibility of Daedric sources. However, despite the fact that there are some Daedra who could imitate your appearance, none of them have the ability to imitate a Thu'um, let alone match yours in strength."

"So how exactly is that an answer?" Aeros asked in exasperation. This was nothing that Farengar and he hadn't already discovered for themselves.

"I am getting to that," Tolfdir replied patiently. "As I was saying, we were unable to come up with an answer, despite poring over various books in the Arcanaeum. While we were there however, Urag overheard our discussion, and suggested that it might be the result of a...well, I better let him explain. This is outside my realm of expertise."

Tolfdir moved to the side to allow Urag to more directly face Aeros.

"Hello, Arch-Mage," he said gruffly. "Glad to see you haven't been burnt to a crisp yet."

Aeros chuckled at that, but quickly returned to the question at hand. "Good to see you too, Urag. Now, you say you might have an explanation for what's happening?"

"I do," Urag said with a nod. "I think the events you described might be the result of a Dragon Break. It appears to be the only possible explanation for your problem, since like Tolfdir said, no Daedra can imitate a Thu'um."

"A Dragon Break?" Aeros repeated in confusion. "What's a Dragon Break?"

"Hmm...how to explain?" the orc mused, searching for a way. "Ah, I know. Arch-Mage, do you have a copy of a book called '_Where were you when the Dragon Broke_?'"

Aeros searched the books on the table around him, but couldn't find it. As he was searching, Farengar managed to find it buried at the bottom of a pile. He handed it to Aeros, who quickly read through it.

"Yes, I have a copy," he said distractedly. "But what the hell does any of this mean? One thousand eight years? An Empire that stretched across the stars, Cyrodiil existing as an egg, something to do with the Dwarves, fighting wars with phantoms and giving birth to your own fathers? None of this makes any sense!"

"That is precisely the point," Urag said bluntly. "A Dragon Break is a period of timelessness, when time is no longer linear and returns to how it was during the Dawn Era. Reality itself fractures into multiple timelines that parallel each other. In one timeline for example, the Empire could win a war, while in another, it could be the Dominion that won. Both versions of events are correct, despite how they contradict each other."

"Wait a minute," Aeros said, remembering something the other Aeros had said. "The doppelganger, the other me, mentioned something about how he was from a different timeline. I assumed he was talking nonsense, but could this Dragon Break theory mean he was telling the truth?"

Urag nodded. "I would assume so. It would explain a lot. The only problem that I see, is what could have caused a Dragon Break?"

"What do you mean?"

"Dragon Breaks don't just happen randomly," the College librarian explained. "If they did, then we would still be living in the Dawn Era. Now, Akatosh is the Dragon of Time, correct?"

"Correct," Aeros agreed. "He's considered the God of Time."

"Which is why, when time is 'broken' or no longer linear, it is considered 'Breaking the Dragon,' which by its very nature, is almost impossible to do."

"Now, as far as I know, there have been three, possibly four recorded instances of a Dragon Break. The first is said to have happened during the Battle of Red Mountain, and might have something to do with the disappearance of the Dwarves. The second Dragon Break is known as the Middle Dawn, and is the main subject of that book you're holding, lasting one thousand and eight years. There might have been a Dragon Break at some point during the Second Era, but due to the Interregnum that occurred, very few records of that time period still exist. The most recent Dragon Break took place in the year 405 of the Third Era,and is known as the Warp in the West. The thing is, each of those events was the result of time itself being shattered, something very few things can accomplish."

Urag's words sparked a memory deep in the recesses of Aeros's mind, bringing it to the forefront.

"I think I might know what might have caused one," Aeros said aloud. "Thank you for all of your assistance, Urag, Phinis, Tolfdir." He ignored the curious looks of the three mages and severed the connection.

He looked towards Farengar. "Thanks for the help, Farengar," he said in appreciation.

"Oh not at all," Farengar said absentmindedly. "Although, this talk of a Dragon Break is quite intriguing. Do tell me how it all turns out, won't you? If you survive, that is."

And on that cheery note, Aeros took his leave. He made his way down the steps leading to the the Wind District, already planning their next move in catching the doppelganger. First though, he needed to fill the others in on what he had learned.

Reaching the bottom of the steps, he headed towards the Temple of Kynareth first, figuring that he might still find Lydia and Serana there. Plus, he could also check in with the priests to find out how Havard was doing.

To his surprise, when he entered the temple, he found not just Serana and Lydia there, but the four Companions as well. They were all gathered in the corner closest to the door, watching the scene going on in the center of the temple.

Aeros turned his head to see what they were looking at, and saw a tear-filled reunion. It seemed Havard had finally woken up, no doubt due to the efforts of the healers. An overjoyed Sera was clutching her husband tightly, practically strangling him while she wept in relief. Their three children were happily embracing both their mother and father.

Watching them, Aeros smiled bittersweetly, feeling a sharp twinge of nostalgia. For a second, he saw another family similarly embracing. It only lasted a moment though, before the image disappeared.

Approaching the family, Aeros saw Havard's eyes widen when he saw him, but thankfully, he didn't try to attack him or grab his family and run for it.

He stopped next to the man's bedside and held out his hand. Havard hesitated, but then reach out and grasped it in a firm grip.

"Hello," Aeros said politely. "My name is Aeros Dragons-Bane."

"Havard Frost-Vein," the man replied. "Nice to meet you."

"You know," Havard said once they had both released their grip, "if Sera hadn't told me about you and about what happened, I don't know how I would have reacted on seeing you."

"Badly?" Aeros suggested.

"That's putting it mildly," Havard agreed with a chuckle.

"Excuse me, Dragonborn, but did you catch the man who did this?" Sera asked.

Aeros shook his head. "No. We saw him, but he managed to escape. But as soon as we restock on supplies, we're heading back out to try and catch him."

Both Sera and Havard thanked him profusely, but he waved their thanks aside. "It's nothing," he told them simply, taking his leave. He stopped though and turned back around. "Feel free to stay in Jorrvaskr as long as you like. And make sure you eat plenty," he said to Havard. "Healings like that draw partially on your own body's energy reserves, so you need to replenish it."

Serana and the others joined him as he left, asking him if he had found anything.

He nodded, and explained to them Urag's theory about a Dragon Break.

"So now what are we going to do?" Serana asked.

"Now," Aeros replied, "we're going to go talk to someone a little more attuned to these kind of things."

He looked towards Lydia. "Lydia, we're going to need some cloaks and other warmer pieces of clothing. And a couple more days worth of provisions too. Serana and I will prepare the horses and the other gear."

"We'll handle the food," Aela volunteered. "Meet back at the stables?" Aeros nodded.

"My Thane, how is any of this going to help us?" Lydia asked. "Didn't the Orc say there hasn't been a Dragon Break since the Third Era?"

"He did," Aeros admitted. "And he's right. But I know of one from long before then."

He waved off their questioning looks. "I'll explain later, once we're on the way there. Right now, we need to hurry. The longer that doppelganger runs loose in Skyrim, the worse for everyone."

Everyone hurried to take care of their appointed tasks. As Aeros and Serana walked down towards the stables, she had to ask.

"So who's this person were going to meet, that's supposed to give us more insight into this Dragon Break business?"

Aeros grinned. "You'll see. Let's just say he's an old friend."

"And where exactly does this old friend of yours live?"

"At the Throat of the World."

* * *

Author's Notes: And there you go. The reason behind the "evil" Aeros. A Dragon Break. Like Urag gro-Shub explained, a Dragon Break is caused when time is shattered, leading to multiple parallel realities. In other words, the Elder Scrolls multiverse theory.

Bethesda first introduced the concept after Daggerfall, deciding to make all possible endings canon, instead of just one. Basically, when you screw with Akatosh, the big ball of wibbly-wobbly, timey-wimey stuff starts to unravel, and anything can happen, at least until the Jills fix everything and set time back on its normal course.

Feel free to leave a review, or point out any mistakes I might have made, grammar or lore-wise.

Characters:

Tolfdir: A friendly, elderly mage at the College and a Master of Alteration magic. Tolfdir serves as the Dragonborn's teacher and guide during their time in the College. Personally, I always felt like he should have been made Arch-Mage, as he's been around the College for so long and is much more experienced in magic. Plus, I was always off doing other things and rarely stopped by the College.

Phinis Gestor: The College of Winterhold's resident Conjuration expert. For your Master level quest, he has you summon an unbound dremora to obtain a sigil stone from Mehrune Dagon's realm.

Dragon Language: None used.


	31. When the Dragon Breaks 4

"_We all make choices, but in the end our choices make us." _— Ken Levine

"_We've all got both light and dark inside us. What matters is the part we choose to act on. That's who we really are."_ — J.K. Rowling, _Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix_

* * *

When the Dragon Breaks 4

The seven of them stood at the base of the Throat of the World, taking in the sheer size of it. The top of the mountain was obscured by clouds, and they could feel the cold air flowing down from the peak. They had arrived at Ivarstead about two days after they had left Whiterun, having been slowed down by several bandit and dragon attacks. Once they had arrived in the small town, they had tied their horses up in the stables, and Aeros had rented them all rooms in the inn. Afterwards though, he had led them towards the base of the mountain, although it was a section that was a fair distance away from the town.

As they gazed at the mountain, Lydia groaned aloud. "Please tell me we're not going all the way up there again," she said almost apprehensively.

Serana glanced at her curiously. "You've been here before?" she asked. Lydia nodded wearily.

"More than I'd care to remember," she replied. "When my Thane was first summoned by the Greybeards, when we returned the Horn of Jurgen Windcaller, when we met Paarthurnax, when we fought Alduin, when the Stormcloaks and Imperials met at High Hrothgar for a peace council…"

Aleiane piped up at this point. "Are there really 7,000 steps?" she asked curiously

Lydia shrugged. "Who knows? Sometimes it feels like it's 70,000 steps, not 7,000. And that's not counting the horrible weather, spiders, wolves, and trolls."

"Come on, Lydia," Aeros interjected at this point. "It's not that bad!"

"Says the man who absorbs the souls of dragons on a regular basis," Lydia countered. "My Thane, you have to admit that you're not exactly what you'd call your average mortal, so excuse me if I take your words with a grain of salt."

The others hid their grins while Aeros struggled to come up with a decent comeback, before finally giving up. Shaking his head, he changed the topic.

"Well don't worry, Lydia," he said. "We won't have to climb up the mountain like we usually do."

"What do you mean?" Aela asked suspiciously. Aeros grinned mischievously at her.

"Watch and learn."

He turned and looked up at the sky.

"OD AH VIING!" he shouted, his Thu'um echoing through the air. As the sound of his Thu'um faded, they heard a roar from far above them.

Staring up towards the sky, they saw a dragon burst through the clouds, its red scales glittering in the sun. The dragon dove straight for them, and all of them except for Aeros and Serana reached for their weapons. Aeros held up a hand to stop them.

When it was almost on top of them, the dragon spread its wings, quickly coming to a stop. It slowly descended until it landed, its weight settling onto the ground. It turned to look at them.

"Dovahkiin!" the red-scaled dragon said in a deep, rasping voice, making everyone but Aeros and Serana jump in surprise. "It is good to speak with you again. But for what reason did you call me?"

Aeros inclined his head in greeting. "Hello, Odahviing," he said. "We've come to speak with Paarthurnax. Is he still at the summit?"

Odahviing turned his gaze upwards, towards the summit. "Aye. The Wuth Gein, the Old One, remains still on his perch. He occasionally speaks with other dovah, to instruct them in his Way of the Voice, but he is old, even by the dov's standards, and prefers the territory he is most familiar with."

He looked back down at Aeros and his group of friends. "But why ask me this, Dovahkiin? Surely you could ascend the mountain and ask him yourself."

"We could," Aeros admitted. "But this is a matter of great importance, and we need to see him as quickly as possible. Could you fly us up there, as a favor for an old friend?"

Odahviing contemplated Aeros's request, sizing up their group. Finally, he nodded.

"Ol hi hind, Dovahkiin," he said in agreement. "But your group is too saak for me to take all at once. It would require several trips to carry you all to the summit."

"Don't worry," Aeros reassured him. "I know a way to solve that problem."

Looking around, Aeros found a wide, open spot. He motioned for the others to step back.

"DUR NEH VIIR!" he shouted again. As they watched, the air began to shimmer and distort before erupting into violet flames. When they died, a dragon stood in their place, with an altogether disturbing appearance.

"Ah, Qahnaarin!" Durnehviir said appreciatively, as he stretched his wings. "I feel more of my strength return every time you summon me from the Soul Cairn. I feel more alive than I have in centuries!"

Aeros grinned. Like he had promised the undead dragon so many months ago, he had made an effort to call Durnehviir from the Soul Cairn, to allow him a chance to roam through Tamriel's skies once more whenever he could. Although, Serana would probably be annoyed with him if she found out that's what he really did when he went "hunting." Not that he was completely lying whenever he told her that. He did go hunting; the deer just had less of a chance when it was a dragon pursuing them.

"I'm glad to hear that, Durnehviir," he said with a slight chuckle. "And I promise you can do whatever you like shortly, but first I need a favor. I need you to help Odahviing to carry us to the top of the Throat of the World."

"But of course, Qahnaarin," the undead dragon replied. "After all, you are kind enough to free me from my prison, even if it is only for a little while."

Aeros had the Companions climb up onto Odahviing, as he was less alarming in appearance than Durnehviir. Once they were seated properly and holding on tightly, Aeros nodded to Odahviing.

The red dragon flapped his wings, and took off, soaring into the clouds. Once he disappeared, Aeros turned and climbed onto Durnehviir's back, where Serana and Lydia were already waiting.

"Let's go, Durnehviir," he said, and the undead dragon took off, following the others.

It wasn't long before they reached the summit. The sun shone brightly onto the snow covered peak, and the wind was as gentle as Aeros had ever felt it this high. Odahviing had already landed, and the four Companions were sliding off of his back, albeit a little unsteadily.

Turning his head, Aeros spotted Paarthurnax perched upon the remains of a Word Wall. He looked no different than when Aeros had last seen him, which was to say, old. He looked as it the currents of time had worn away at him, his scales dull, tattered skin on his wings and tail, and chipped horns.

As Aeros and the others slid off of Durnehviir's back, the two dragons began to flap their wings.

"Wait," Aeros said. "I want both of your opinions on this too." The two dragons accepted his request, and stayed where they were.

Aeros walked towards Paarthurnax. As he approached, the aged dragon inclined his head in welcome.

"Greetings, Dovahkiin," he rumbled. "It has been long since we last spoke. For what reason have you returned here, to the pinnacle of the world?"

"To seek answers," Aeros said simply. "There are events going on down below that I don't understand. And all I know is that the answers I'm looking for might be here."

The ancient looking dragon tilted his head quizzically. "What events do you speak of, Dovahkiin? It is true that I am isolated here, but the dovah who visit me have not mentioned any great disturbances amongst the joor reyliik, the mortal races."

Aeros made sure that Odahviing and Durnehviir were listening. Satisfied that they were, he began explaining the events of the last couple days, including his encounter with the doppelganger, and Urag gro-Shub's theory.

"You told me once before that when Alduin was banished here, back in the Merethic Era, that time was shattered," he finished, motioning in the general direction of the Time Wound. Even now, if he squinted just right, he could make out a slight distortion in the air. "What did you mean by that?"

"Hmm…" Paarthurnax said thoughtfully. "This Dovah Kren, this Dragon Break that you describe, it is a new concept to me. However, it does carry the ring of truth. As you know, we dovah are especially attuned to the currents of time. It is our greatest asset, and our greatest weakness, as we discovered when the jul created Dragonrend."

"But this shattering of time, you are correct. I have felt it before. The first time was when my old friends, the Tongues, banished Alduin. All of the dov felt it then, as time itself was sundered. Since then, I have felt it several more times, although it has always been far away and I could feel it but faintly."

"That's what I thought you would say," Aeros said, several of the answers he was looking for made clear to him. "But what could have created this Dragon Break, the one that created the other me?"

"The same thing that created the first one," Odahviing rumbled from behind him. Aeros turned to look at him.

"What do you mean?"

"The Kel, the Elder Scroll that first sent Alduin forward through time is the same thing that created another you. The Kelle are objects outside of time, and as such have the power to alter it. This is how the Tongues were able to use it to banish Alduin."

"All things in this world have a beginning, and an end, even if you cannot see it. However, that does not mean they are always separate things. If Alduin's banishment was the beginning, then his emergence into this time was the end. But while to the rest of the world his banishment lasted for thousands of years, to the World-Eater, it was but an instant."

"What does Alduin's return have to do with any of this?" Aeros asked in confusion. "I understand that his banishment was what created the Time Wound, but I don't see what his return could have to do with a doppelganger of me running around."

Odahviing chuckled. "You must understand, Dovahkiin, we dragons are unique creatures, and Alduin was even more so. Alduin was called the World-Eater for a reason; his role is to end this world and allow the next on to begin. He is the literal manifestation of the end of time. When the mortal Tongues banished him, they created a hole in time, where the fabric of time is weakened."

He turned his head to gaze at the shimmering Time-Wound. "Even now, thousands of your years since it happened, I can still sense a weakness, a fragileness to time here. When Alduin returned, out of the same hole in time, he tore it asunder once more. That, is likely the cause of this Dovah Kren, this distortion in time."

Aeros was quiet for a long time as he contemplated Odahviing's explanation. It was hard to believe, and yet, this entire situation was impossible, or so he would have said if he wasn't stuck in the damned middle of it all.

"Alright," he said at last. "That explains the how, but not the why. Why exactly did this doppelganger show up _now_? And how exactly did he get here, if he's from another timeline?"

Paarthurnax spoke. "That, Dovahkiin, is something you will have to ask this other you for yourself. I have no answer."

Aeros frowned, but nodded. "You're probably right." He inclined his head in thanks. "Thank you, Paarthurnax, for your wisdom. This has made things a lot clearer to me." The elderly dragon inclined his head in return, bidding them farewell.

They all climbed back onto Odahviing's and Durnehviir's backs and headed back down the mountain. They landed a little ways outside of Ivarstead, so as not to frighten the locals. As soon as his passengers had climbed off him, Odahviing said farewell to them, and ascended back into the clouds.

Durnehviir, however, remained a little longer.

"Qahnaarin," he rumbled, drawing Aeros's attention. "I understand this matter as little as the Old One or the youngling. However, I do know a little of the workings of time, that perhaps they have forgotten. Tiid, time, does not like being forced to change its course. And when it is forced into multiple paths, it will always seek to merge back together.

"Perhaps this encounter, between two versions of you, is simply time's way of deciding which is the true course. If so, then be careful. You are caught in the currents of time and fate now, and they will not stop pulling at you until things have run their course, and only one of you is left standing."

With that, the undead dragon spread his wings and took off, rapidly disappearing from sight.

\- Ivarstead -

Aeros leaned against the side of the bridge, gazing out over Lake Geir. He breathed in the cool night air, a refreshing breeze coming down off of the Throat of the World. The stars reflected merrily off of the calm waters, but Aeros noticed none of it, absorbed in his own thoughts.

He had finally found out the truth behind the existence of another him, but that still hadn't provided the answers he was really looking for. Why had the other him appeared in this world? And what had happened to him in that other version of reality, that had caused him to change? What had caused the other him to stop fighting for others and to instead selfishly pursue his own desires?

He closed his eyes and sighed heavily. _Paarthurnax was right_, he thought. _The only way I'll ever get any answers is to ask the other me. Not that I'm likely to explain myself…_

He thought back to the parting words the other him had said in the forest, right before he disappeared.

_I see you've done a better job than I did in keeping your friends and loved ones alive..._

"Aeros?"

He opened his eyes and turned to see Serana approaching him, a worried expression on her face.

"What are you doing out here?" she asked, staring at him intently.

"I just wanted to catch some fresh air," he lied. "It's been a long time since I've been here, and I'd forgotten how _pure _the air here feels. Besides," he added with a chuckle, "it smells like wet dog in there."

Serana laughed. "Now I wonder why that is? It certainly has nothing to do with four werewolves all staying in the same small inn."

She linked her arm through his. "Come on, let's go back inside. It's cold out here, and there's a warm fire and bed waiting for us in there."

"You know," Aeros quipped as they walked back towards the inn, "you wouldn't be so cold if you actually threw something on over that corset before coming out here."

Serana smacked his arm lightly. "I wouldn't have even had to come out here if someone hadn't wandered off when I wasn't looking."

They both laughed, but inside, Aeros still worried over what would come. As they opened the door to the inn, the last thing he heard was a sinister voice whispering in the wind.

_That'll change soon enough..._

* * *

Author's Notes: So there you have it, my reasoning for a Dragon Break. I swear I spent several days on r/teslore trying to find an answer to this, but I couldn't find anyone else who had the same idea as me.

To explain it more clearly, since dragons aren't the best at that kind of thing, Alduin's return created a Dragon Break, the _same _one that was created when he was banished.

Alduin is an aspect of the oversoul of Aka, the original Time Dragon, and is the End of Time given form, as it is his role to consume the world/end the current kalpa, at least until he forsook that role to rule over Skyrim.

When the Tongues banished him, they essentially shoved Alduin through time, tearing a hole in it (the Time Wound), and causing a minor Dragon Break. The Break was most likely fixed by the Jills, but that portion of time and space was left weakened.

So when Alduin, the literal manifestation of the End of Time reappeared, he tore the Time Wound open again, creating the same Dragon Break, just the opposite end of it. And that Dragon Break is what split the timelines.

**TL;DR:** When you shove the End of Time through Time, and then run him back through it again, things are going to get weird.

On a side note: Be careful when wandering through the r/teslore subreddit. That's a very slippery slope leading to a trip down the rabbit hole if you're not careful. You might just go as mad as Sheogorath (Well, maybe not that insane.).

Dragon Language:

Wuth Gein = Old One

Dovah = Dragon

Dov = Dragonkind

Ol hi hind = As you wish

Saak = Big

Qahnaarin = Vanquisher

Joor reyliik = Mortal race(s)

Dovah Kren = Dragon Break

Joor = mortal

Kel(le) = Elder Scroll(s)

Tiid = Time


	32. When the Dragon Breaks 5

"_You either die a hero, or you live long enough to see yourself become the villain."_ — Bill Finger

"_Maybe he was a good man once. But you fight any war long enough and in the end it's going to be hard to remember who you are. He's had too much blood...I'd say he's become everything he set out to defeat."_ — Anthony Horowitz, _Oblivion_

_"It is such a quiet thing, to fall. But far more terrible is to admit it." _— Kreia, _Knights of the Old Republic II_

"_The scariest monsters are the ones that lurk within our souls."_ ―Edgar Allen Poe

* * *

When the Dragon Breaks 5

The seven of them were traveling through the hold of Falkreath, since the last place they had seen the other Aeros was when he disappeared into the forest, on the Falkreath-Whiterun border. After their conversation with the dragons at the Throat of the World, they had decided to go back to the clearing where they had encountered the doppelganger, taking the southern passes to cut around the mountain, instead of having to go back the way they came.

However, it had been a week since their encounter in the forest, and since then, there had been no sign of the other Aeros, not in Falkreath, nor anywhere else in Skyrim. They didn't know whether to be relieved or worried about that.

Their group had just left the actual town of Falkreath only a couple of hours ago, after stopping to restock on supplies, and to listen for talk about anyone who had seen or heard anything unusual lately. Unfortunately, no one had noticed anything out of the ordinary in the hold recently.

They were riding along the western road that led between Falkreath and the Reach, discussing possible locations that the doppelganger might have run off to.

"Maybe he fled to one of the northern holds," Vilkas suggested. "Or maybe even Windhelm or Riften."

Aeros shook his head. "I doubt it," he said. "If he had tried, he would have had to travel through the other holds, and risk being spotted. If I had to guess, he's hiding out somewhere in either Falkreath, the Reach, or Whiterun Hold.

"What do you think the other you is up to, Harbinger?" Farkas asked.

Aeros gave it some thought. "Well, if it were me…" he paused, grimacing at an unpleasant thought. "There's a discomforting thought. It _is _me."

He frowned, but continued in answering Farkas's question. "If it were me, the first thing I would do is gather allies, if for nothing more than to wear us down.

"Where would he find allies like that?" Aleiane asked. "Surely, no one would want to mess with us."

Aeros chuckled at that. "You'd be surprised," he said dryly. "As for where he could find said allies, it would have to be…"

He stopped as they rounded a bend in the road, and saw a black plume of smoke billowing up over the treetops.

Without a word, they all rushed down the road, quickly leaving the forests of Falkreath behind and entering the twisted crags and foothills of the Reach. The road ran between two rugged hills, so that the surrounding land was actually higher than the road.

They soon found the source of the smoke. It was the smoldering wreckage of a Khajiit caravan. The wagons were all tipped over, and some of them were on fire, while goods were strewn about everywhere. The worst part though was the bodies. More than a dozen Khajiit were scattered across the road, including women and children.

As they neared the wreckage, they noticed something else lying a little further down the road. It was the skeletal remains of a dragon.

"Mara have mercy on their souls," Aela commented from besides Aeros. It was rare for her to lose her cool, but even she was shaken up by this scene. "It was unfortunate for this caravan, to run into a dragon like that. At least they managed to take it with them."

Aeros had climbed off of his horse and begun examining the skeleton. Running his hands over the bones, he shook his head. "That's not what happened."

"What do you mean?" Lydia asked. The others had similar questioning looks on their faces.

"Look here," he replied. They all dismounted so that they could get a better look. He directed their attention towards several long cuts on the bones. The cuts themselves, and the surrounding bone, were all either blackened or frozen over.

"There's very few things that can leave cuts like that on dragon bones," Aeros commented. "And it's not the steel weapons these Khajiits were carrying."

He walked over towards what was left of the caravan, kneeling down next to the body of a Khajiit. After a moment, he nodded to himself, as he found what he was looking for. He rolled the body over slightly so the others could see.

There, on the Khajiit's abdomen, was a large stab wound, going all the way through and exiting out of the cat's back. The fur and skin beneath were both severely burned.

He did the same with another body, this one with a slash across its neck. The wound was frozen over, and the blood had congealed.

He looked up at them, and pulled out both of his swords, laying them next to the bodies. As he did, the blades flared brightly with their twin enchantments of fire and ice.

"These Khajiit weren't killed by that dragon," he said quietly. He sheathed his swords and climbed back to his feet. "Rather, I think they were saved from it by a stranger, who then proceeded to cut them down as they thanked him for saving them."

They were all quiet as they digested this. Before any of them could say anything though, there was a rustle from all around them. Seemingly out of nowhere, Forsworn appeared on the hills around them, surrounding them.

"There they are!" a Briarheart yelled out. "Kill them!"

With that, the Forsworn surged down the hill and attacked.

Having no time for anything else, the seven of them bunched together as the wave of enemies crashed over them. They fought as a team, working together to fend off the multitude of blades and deal fatal blows in return.

For the first ten minutes or so, everything seemed to be going well. They were all still alive, despite the overwhelming numbers, and had only received minor cuts and scratches. It was fortunate for them that the Forsworn used bone weapons, because while they could leave nasty wounds if they managed to get a clean hit in, they were easily deflected by any kind of decent armor.

But as the fight wore on, Aeros and the others began to grow concerned. They had killed or incapacitated what must have been almost two dozen men, and yet there didn't seem to be any end to them. And then Aeros heard Aela yelp.

Parrying a Forsworn's blade with his own, Aeros delivered a sharp kick to the man's chest and sent him stumbling back into several of his comrades. Using the opening, he turned around and saw Aela grasping her forearm in pain.

"Aela, what-" he started to ask but she cut him off.

"Fuck, that burns," she growled. She looked over at him. "Aeros! They have silver weapons!"

Aeros stared at her in shock, momentarily forgetting the situation they were in. His eyes were drawn to her injured arm, and he saw the skin around the cut was inflamed, and smoke rising from the wound.

Spinning back around to face the Forsworn, Aeros looked more closely at the weapons they were wielding. And he realized Aela was right. While many of the Forsworn were still using their traditional bone weapons, a large number of them were grasping metal weapons that gleamed brightly in the sun.

Then he had no more time to think, as the Forsworn closed back in.

The situation quickly began to deteriorate. As the fight dragged on, the seven of them began to grow more tired, and their reflexes dulled. They failed to dodge or block as many attacks, and while their armor protected them for the most part, their number of injuries continued to grow.

The worst part though, was that more of the Forsworn were wielding silver weapons. While Lydia and Aleiane also received several cuts from these blades, their effect was far worse on Aeros, Serana, and the members of the Circle. Every cut burned them, and sapped their strength.

Up above, the Briarhearts and archers continued to rain fire magic and arrows down on them. Fortunately, there weren't any hagravens present, as they were experts at destruction magic.

Aeros grunted as an arrow found a gap in his armor, burying itself in his shoulder. With a grimace, he snapped off the shaft, and gritting his teeth, pushed it all the way through.

"FUS RO DAH!" he shouted, channeling all of his anger and pain into his Thu'um.

His Shout sent the entire horde of Forsworn flying backwards, including the ones up above, giving their group some much needed breathing room. Breathing heavily, Aeros fell back and momentarily released his grip on the sword in his right hand. Gathering magicka in his hand, he allowed it to build up before releasing it. As he did, everyone was enveloped in a golden glow and most of their wounds began to heal, with the exception of the ones inflicted by the silver weapons. Those he couldn't do much about right now.

Moving to stand next to Serana, he laid his hand on her shoulder. A golden light suffused her body, and she felt the spell do its work, healing most of her injuries and washing away her fatigue. She turned and offered him a brief smile of thanks, which he returned. After the defeat of Harkon, Aeros had purposefully researched spells that healed the undead, as he still remembered vividly how little of an effect his spells had when Serana had fallen ill from lack of blood.

They both turned their attention back towards where the Forsworn were regrouping.

Although he didn't show it, Aeros was worried. He was glad he had learned the Heal Undead spell, for Serana's sake, and that he had convinced Colette to teach him Grand Healing, but he didn't know how many more times he could afford to heal everyone, and Aleiane's magic wasn't strong enough to heal all of them.

He knew if they didn't end this fight soon, Serana and him, and the rest of the Circle would eventually succumb to the wounds inflicted by the silver weapons. That meant they had to end this fight as quickly as possible, before they all wound up as crow food or sacrifices to the Old Gods; and that was if they were lucky.

Trying to think of a way out of this situation, Aeros once again noticed the Briarhearts and archers up above. Leaning towards Serana, he got her attention.

"Think you can do something about them?" he asked, pointing. "Because if the silver doesn't get us first, then we're going to look like a bunch of pincushions. Very well-done pincushions."

Serana followed his gaze, and nodded. "I'll see what I can do. After all," she added with a smirk, "I'm the only one who gets to make you all hot and bothered."

Before Aeros could come up with a retort, she disappeared in a brief flash of light.

As the Forsworn attacked once again, Aeros was forced to focus his attention on the enemies in front of him. But as he cut down another crazed berserker, he heard a scream and watched in shock as a Forsworn went sailing past him. Turning his head sharply, Aeros realized it was one of the archers from up above. He glanced at the hill, and despite the situation, had to laugh.

Serana, using her vampiric powers, had climbed unseen up the hill. Sneaking up behind the archers and mages, she proceeded to use her supernatural strength to literally lift them up into the air and throw them bodily off of the hill. It wasn't long until no one was left on the hill except for Serana.

During all of this, Aeros and the others had continued to push back wave after wave of Forsworn, despite their injuries and fatigue. It seemed that no one else but Aeros had noticed what was happening up on the hill, but as the Forsworn charged yet again, a scream was heard as a body crashed down into the space between Aeros's group and the Forsworn. The body hit the ground with an audible thump, and when the dust had cleared, everyone saw that it was the leader of the attack, the Briarheart from before.

Freezing in place, the Forsworn slowly looked up and saw that all of their archers and mages had disappeared, and in their place stood Serana, fangs bared in a feral grin, and frost dripping off of her hands as she prepared a spell.

Turning back towards Aeros and the others, the Forsworn realized with horror, that despite their overwhelming numbers, this group of companions continued to face them determinedly. Aeros stepped forward, and all of the Forsworn flinched. He stared at them resolutely, and they all backed away from the iron will emanating from him.

He took a deep breath.

"FUS RO DAH!" he shouted, and the Forsworn line broke as they were all sent flying back. They scrambled to their feet and as one, began running away as fast as they could, fleeing the might of the Dragonborn and his friends.

Aeros watched them flee, not moving until he had watched the last survivor disappear into the crags of the Reach. Only then did he relax, his entire body sagging from exhaustion.

Despite their exhaustion, Aeros and Aleiane immediately set to work healing everyone's injuries, focusing especially on the cuts inflicted by the silver weapons. Serana soon rejoined them, and Aeros switched his attention over to her, leaving Aleiane to heal the few injuries remaining.

"You alright?" Aeros asked, handing her a small healing potion while he began using restoration magic.

Serana nodded as she quaffed down the potion. She could already feel it and Aeros's spell take effect, as her injuries slowly began to close.

"Yeah, I'm fine," she replied. "Just a few cuts and bruises, nothing serious. But more importantly, am I the only one who got the feeling that they were waiting for us?"

Aela nodded from where she was sitting on the ground. "I feel the same way. That attack was too calculated and well-prepared. A normal group of Forsworn would have run as soon as they realized who they were attacking."

"Plus the fact that they were using silver weapons," Farkas added. "How in Oblivion did a bunch of fur-clad, Daedra worshipping savages get their hands on those?"

"Is that why their weapons looked all shiny?" Aleiane asked. "What's the big deal with silver anyways?"

Vilkas quietly explained to her how silver was effective against the undead and werewolves, which was the reason werewolf hunters like the Silver Hand typically used weapons made out of it.

While Vilkas was explaining this, Aeros was deep in thought.

"I don't like this," he muttered to himself. "The Forsworn knew where to find us, and they came armed with silver, as if they knew our secret. Besides that, why would the Forsworn attack us in the first place? I haven't heard anything about Madanach stirring, and even if he was, why go after us? There's plenty of easier targets if he's trying to make a statement."

"I think I might know why," Serana said from a little ways off. Once her injuries were healed, she had begun searching the body of the Briarheart that had led the attack, looking for anything that might offer a clue as the motive behind the attack.

"Come take a look at this," she said, calling the others over.

Once they had joined her, she handed Aeros a note she had found. Curiously, he unfolded it and began reading out loud.

"The Matriarchs have commanded the death of the Dragonborn and his friends," he read. "By killing them, we shall strike a blow at the invaders from which they shall never recover. Wait for them at the border between Falkreath and the Reach. You will no doubt found the weapons gifted to us by our new ally quite useful in this endeavour."

"We shall await word of your success at Lost Valley Redoubt. For the Reach!"

He looked around at the others, and shrugged.

"Looks like we're going to Lost Valley Redoubt to ask these 'Matriarchs' some questions," he said as he climbed to his feet. "

"What about your doppelganger, my Thane?" Lydia asked.

Aeros's mouth tightened as he looked back at the sight of the destroyed caravan. "Somehow, I have a feeling my doppelganger is connected to this in some way," he answered. "At the very least, we might find some hint as to where he's disappeared to."

* * *

\- Lost Valley Redoubt -

It had taken them a while to get under way, as their horses had scattered when the Forsworn had attacked. But they managed to catch them all and were soon underway again.

They soon arrived at the redoubt, following Aeros, who had been there before. Once there, they proceeded to fight their way through the hordes of Forsworn as they made their way to the top. Luckily, none of these Forsworn were using silver weapons, and the layout of the redoubt prevented any more than a handful or two of them from attacking at the same time.

Finally, they broke through to the top of the ruins. Following Aeros's lead, they rounded the corner leading towards the Word Wall. And found themselves facing six hagravens.

They all froze, and the lead hagraven cackled. "I see that that Nord was right," she croaked gleefully. "You are difficult to kill. He gave us such pretty weapons too, all shiny and sharp, so that our children could cut you into pieces. Still, he told us that wouldn't stop you, and that you would come here."

"Well, now that you are, I suppose we should give you a proper greeting, shouldn't we?"

"Shit," someone swore, summing up all of their thoughts.

"Move!" Aeros yelled, and they all dove out of the way as six fireballs hit the ground where they had just been standing.

They all took cover behind a nearby cluster of boulders as the hagravens continued to cast fireball after fireball.

"Any suggestions?" Serana asked from her place beside Aeros, as explosions continued to shake the air.

"My Thane," Lydia said from the other side of him. "Why not use that Shout of yours, the one that makes you ethereal? Can't you use that to avoid their attacks and kill them?"

"Unfortunately, no," Aeros replied. "As soon as I try to attack one of them, it'll break the effect, and the other five will burn me to a crisp."

From her spot behind a nearby boulder, Aela offered a suggestion. "Aeros, you get their attention while Vilkas, Farkas, and I transform."

Aeros shook his head vehemently. "No! Remember the story of how the Companions got the beast blood in the first place? It was from a group of hagravens. I have a bad feeling that they have a couple tricks up their sleeves for dealing with werewolves."

"Do you have a better idea?" Aela demanded. Aeros started to shake his head again, but stopped, a grin spreading across his face.

"Uh oh," said Serana, recognizing the look on his face. "You're about to try something extremely idiotic aren't you?"

"Yep," Aeros replied. Despite herself, Serana can't help but also grin.

"Then what are we waiting for?" she asked.

"Aela, get ready to charge," Aeros said to the huntress.

"Aeros, what-" Aela started to ask, but was cut off when Aeros stood up from behind the boulder.

"HUN KAAL ZOOR!" he shouted. The Hagravens hesitated for a moment, but as they were about to roast the impudent Nord, a battlecry answered from behind them.

"For Sovngarde!"

The Hagravens all spun around, to find themselves being charged by three warrior spirits, two wearing the armor of the ancient Nords, and one dressed in an ancient set of robes.

"What is this?" one of the hagravens hissed. "Summoning a few pathetic spirits? You underestimate us, Dragonb-!" she was cut off with a strangled squawk as she was suddenly frozen solid by a Shout from Felldir the Old.

"Now!" Aeros yelled, vaulting over the rock and running to engage the hagravens while they were distracted. Serana and the others followed close behind.

The balance of the battle quickly tipped in their favor. With one hagraven already incapacitated, the remaining five fought desperately. They gathered together and cast spell after spell at the companions. Or at least, they tried to. Every time the hagravens attempted spellcasting, Aeros and the three Tongues would quickly interrupt them with a Shout. Finally, the hagravens resorted to using their filth-coated talons, attempting to claw them to shreds.

But they couldn't withstand the might of Aeros's companions and four wielders of the Voice. Within minutes, the fight was over.

As they all stood there, trying to catch their breath, the three ancient Nord heroes bowed respectfully to Aeros.

"A glorious fight, Dragonborn!" Gormlaith cried boastfully.

"We shall sing of this battle in the halls of Sovngarde," Hakon added.

Felldir smiled in amusement at the words of the other two. "Stay safe, Dragonborn," he said simply, before all three of them faded away, returning to Sovngarde.

"Well, now what?" Farkas asked. "We killed the damned hagravens, but it didn't bring us any closer to finding the other you."

Aeros shrugged. "Let's look around. There might be a clue somewhere."

They searched the area, including the bodies of the hagravens, and the body of a Forsworn that was lying on the sacrificial altar, but found nothing.

They were all growing frustrated, and were just about ready to give up, when Aeros noticed the body of a Khajiit lying propped up against the Word Wall.

Aeros thought the body was a little out of place. As far as he knew, hagravens preferred humans for their sacrifices and meals. He supposed he could be wrong, but still, it seemed odd that a body would just be left there like that.

Deciding to take a closer look, Aeros crouched down next to the dead Khajiit. It was then he realized that it was one of the Khajiit from the caravan, wearing the same style of clothing that the others had. _What is this Khajiit doing way out here?_ he wondered.

That was when he noticed a piece of parchment sticking out of the cat's pocket. Curious, he pulled it out and unfolded it, smoothing it out so he could read better.

To his surprise, it was in his own handwriting. His confusion was cleared up as he read on. It read:

"_I know that you're still alive, and that my new friends have done little more than slow you down, even with all the extra help I gave them. Still, I expected no less from myself._

_I hope you enjoyed my little demonstration back on the road. Those cats thought they had been saved by the mighty Dragonborn. Little did they know they were about to meet their end at his hands too. And that's just a taste of what I plan on inflicting on Skyrim, and on all of Tamriel._

_There can only be one Dragonborn in this world, one Aeros Dragons-Bane, so come and face me if you dare. We shall see which of us is the stronger, and which of us won't be leaving alive._

_Come find me at the place where this all began, where our destinies first unfolded."_

Aeros's hands gripped the note tightly, and he had to make sure he didn't tear it by accident Without a word, he handed the note to the others, and walked off a ways while they read it, trying to gather his thoughts.

He found himself standing on the edge of Bard's Leap Summit. Once, a long time ago, when he had first been adventuring in Skyrim, he had come to this place in search of the shield of Jarl Igmund's father, Hrolfdir. There had been Forsworn here back then too, but he had fought his way through all of them and found the shield.

It was here on this outlook, looking out over the Reach with shield in hand, that he had been seized by a sudden impulse to jump into the pool of water below. It had seemed mad, but he had trusted his instincts and made the leap of faith, despite the fact that it had seemed like certain death. In the end, he had survived, and was even praised by the ghost of a long-dead Bard, who had died making a similar attempt.

He realized that was what he was going to have to do here: trust his instincts. The note had said to go to the place where it had all began, where his destiny had first begun to reveal itself. In his mind, there were two places that could apply to. But he had an ominous feeling that he only had time to go to one, and if he chose wrong, innocent people would suffer for it.

He turned around and rejoined the others. They were still debating the contents of the note.

"'The place where it all began?' What the hell does that mean?" Aela growled in frustration.

"It means Helgen, doesn't it, my Thane?" Lydia suggested, looking to Aeros for confirmation. "That's where Alduin first appeared and where you managed to escape, isn't it?"

Aeros went with his gut. "No," he said, shaking his head. "That might be where the Dragon Crisis first started, but that's not where the other me is referring to."

"Where then?" Serana asked. It had been almost a year now since Aeros had rescued her from that tomb, but she still didn't know everything about his life in Skyrim before she met him.

Aeros could see it in his mind's eye. The place where he had been forced to fight his way past the spiders, bandits, and ancient traps that guarded the crumbling corridors. Where he had first learned of Nordic puzzle doors and the dragon claws that were the key to unlocking them. And where he had first encountered the doomed servants of the dragons, cursed to suffer an eternity of undeath, in the form of the draugr. All of it ending in a black, ominous wall covered in strange runes that pulsed with a mysterious power.

"Bleak Falls Barrow."

* * *

Author's Notes: Fate is rushing towards a single point, as Aeros and his friends draw closer to their confrontation with the other Aeros. But what will emerge from that clash, what forgotten truths and pieces of the past?

Characters:

Madanach: The King in Rags, and the leader of the Forsworn Rebellion. He was imprisoned in Cidhna Mine, until the false arrest of the Dragonborn. Aeros helped Madanach and the others escape, but was deceived as to their true intentions for when they were freed. When Madanach tried to kill Thonar Silver-Blood, Aeros realized the truth and stopped him. Aeros and Madanach have not encountered each other since.

Dragon Language:

Fus Ro Dah = Force Balance Push (Unrelenting Force Shout)

Hun Kaal Zoor = Hero Champion Legend (Call of Valor Shout)


	33. When the Dragon Breaks 6

"_I've learned that even the strongest people are weak sometimes. The human body and mind can only take so much pain, so much suffering, before it breaks."_ \- Unknown

"_Death is not the greatest loss in life. The greatest loss is what dies inside us while we live."_ ― Norman Cousins

"_Just because you learned to stop suffering from the pain does not mean you no longer feel it."_ ― Cross Heart

"_Everyone has a breaking point, because there's only so much one person can take."_ \- Unknown

* * *

When the Dragon Breaks 6

Aeros looked up the winding path as it twisted its way up the mountain and disappeared out of sight. It had taken them two days to get there, even going fast as they had been. And the entire way, they all worried about what the doppelganger might be planning. Before, he had stayed away from populated areas, and so far only the Frost-Veins and the Khajiit caravan had suffered at his hands. But here at Bleak Falls Barrow, he was only a stone's throw away from Riverwood.

They had passed through the small town on their way to the ruins, and everything had seemed normal, but they all knew that if they failed to stop the doppelganger, Riverwood would be the first to suffer his madness. After that, it was just a matter of whether he went for Whiterun or Falkreath next.

They slowly made their way up the mountain, on foot since they had left the horses in Riverwood. As they ascended, Serana asked Aeros a question she had been thinking about since Lost Valley Redoubt.

"So what makes you think that this is where the doppelganger is waiting, and not Helgen?" she asked.

Aeros smiled wryly. "It's just a feeling. But it makes sense to me. Yes, Helgen is where Alduin first attacked, but after escaping from there, I could have gone anywhere I wanted."

"So why didn't you?" Serana asked curiously. She had heard so little of Aeros's early adventures in Skyrim, before everyone knew him as the legendary Dragonborn that defeated Alduin World-Eater.

Aeros shrugged. "Honestly? I don't know. Once we were out of that keep, Hadvar and I could have gone our separate ways and never see each other again. But instead, I agreed to come with him to Riverwood. From there, I moved on to Whiterun, where I alerted the Jarl about the attack on Helgen and Riverwood's cry for aid."

He chuckled at the memory. "Shockingly, Balgruuf listened to me, despite the fact that I had little more than the clothes on my back. He's always been a good man. He immediately sent a detachment of guards to Riverwood, despite Proventus's objections. After that, he asked me for a favor, and took me to meet Farengar, who was looking into the matter of the dragons' return."

"Soon, I found myself back in Riverwood, climbing up this same path in search of some 'Dragonstone.' Somehow, I managed to fight my way past all of the bandits, spiders, draugr, and traps that stood in my way, and found myself in a large cavern. At the far end of that cavern loomed a mysterious black wall. I felt drawn to it, and when I approached to get a better look at it, I felt a mysterious power flow from the wall into me."

"So that's why you think your doppelganger meant here, and not Helgen!" Serana exclaimed in understanding.

Aeros nodded. "Exactly. I might have escaped Alduin at Helgen, but so did a lot of other people. It was here, at Bleak Falls Barrow, where the power of the dovah inside me was first unlocked."

Eventually, they reached a ruined and crumbling tower alongside the path, most likely a watchtower in days long past. The others kept moving, but Aeros stopped, staring at the watchtower in consternation.

"What's wrong, Aeros?" Serana asked.

"This tower," he said slowly. "Normally, it's the home of bandits. So why is it empty?"

"Maybe no one has moved in since the last group?" Serana suggested.

"Maybe…" Aeros said unconvinced. Looking around, he could see signs of recent habitation. The fact that there wasn't anybody there made him uneasy for some inexplicable reason.

"Harbinger, come on," Aela said from further up. "We're almost there."

Aeros shook the feeling off. "Right," he answered. "Let's keep going."

It wasn't long until they arrived at the ruins. As they climbed the stone steps, they all looked around warily for enemies. But there was no one.

"Aeros…" Serana said anxiously/uneasily. "Where is he?"

"Don't tell me I was wrong?" Aeros muttered in dismay. "No! I was sure he would be here."

They all jumped at the sudden sound of clapping. Spinning, they saw the figure of Aeros, the other Aeros, standing in front of the doors to the ruin, clapping slowly.

"You made it!" he said brightly. "Good. I'm glad to see this version of me isn't completely hopeless. Did you get my message?"

"If you mean the group of Khajiit that you murdered, then yeah, we got it," Aeros snapped. "Which is why we're here now, to make sure that never happens again."

He reached for his swords, as did everyone else. But the doppelganger held up a hand. "Not so fast," he said calmly. "First, we should introduce everybody."

He snapped his fingers, and all around them, the air distorted as dozens of bandits appeared, having been hiding behind illusions and spells of invisibility. All of them were grinning in anticipation.

"You see, these fellows here have just been dying to meet you. They've heard all about your exploits, and want to see if you really do live up to the legend."

As the bandits edged closer, he smiled. "I'll just let you get acquainted. Don't worry, I can wait."

With a collective yell full of bloodlust, the bandits attacked.

Aeros pulled his hands away from his swords, instead channeling magicka. As the bandits charged, he unleashed a volley of chain lightning, the spell arcing through the first wave of bandits, disintegrating half of them and dropping the others to the ground. Not even pausing to see if his spell had worked, Aeros spun, and lobbed two fireballs into the midst of the oncoming bandits. There was a sound of twin explosions, and several bandits were tossed into the air. As the spells detonated, he took a deep breath.

FO KRAH DIIN!" he shouted, and a wave of frost surged towards the bandits, enveloping them in a miniature blizzard.

On either side of him, Serana and Aleiane were also raising hell, casting every spell they knew. Behind them, Aela's hands never stopped moving, as she fired arrows one after the other, every shot hitting its mark.

Within seconds though, the bandits were too close for magic. Aeros and the others drew their weapons, and the two groups crashed together.

Fortunately, Aeros and the others had plenty of experience fighting bandits during their adventures throughout Skyrim. And while the bandits had the advantage in numbers, it was nowhere near as bad as it had been against the Forsworn.

The seven of them cut through the bandits with ease, carving a bloody swathe. But just as it seemed like their numbers were dwindling, the doors to the ruins flew open, and even more bandits surged down the steps.

Thinking quickly, Aeros let go of his swords and once again drew on his magicka. Fire poured out of his hands towards the ground, forming flames at least eight feet high. Soon, the seven of them were surrounded by a wall of fire.

Aeros glared up at his doppelganger, who watched this all unfold in amusement.

"Not bad," the other him said mockingly. "Quick thinking on your part." He gave a sardonic smile. "But I think it's getting a little hot out here, don't you?"

He lifted his head towards the sky. Aeros's eyes widened in horror as he realized too late what his doppelganger was doing, helpless to do anything but watch as the other him shouted.

"STRUN BAH QO!"

His Shout echoed through the air, the sound becoming deeper and deeper, until it boomed like thunder. Up above, the previously clear skies twisted and roiled, huge black clouds stretching ominously across the sky, until they had obscured the sun and everything grew dark.

The winds began to pick up, as the first stinging droplets of rain fell. There was an ominous rumble. Aeros's doppelganger gave one last twisted smile before turning and entering the ruins.

"Get down!" Aeros yelled, right as the first bolt of lightning struck a nearby bandit. There was a loud crack and the air was filled with the sickening smell of burnt flesh.

The storm soon began in earnest. The winds howled across the mountain face, and the rain fell in sheets until they could barely see. All the while, bolts of lightning fell from the heavens, striking everything they could reach.

"Come on, we need to move!" Aeros roared over the deafening sound of thunder. The storm had put out their protective wall of fire as easily as putting out a campfire, and it was only growing worse.

They picked themselves up off the ground, and followed Aeros towards the entrance to the ruins.

They struggled to move forward, the wind slamming into them with every step. It felt like trying to fight a stone wall, but still, step by step, they moved forward. At last, they reached the doors, and staggered inside, forcing the doors shut behind them. As soon as the doors slid shut, they collapsed.

"What the hell was that?" Aela asked as she picked herself up. "I've never seen you use a Shout like that, Aeros."

Aeros slowly pulled himself to his feet, using the wall as support. "Some powers," he coughed, "should never be used."

Despite his exhaustion, Aeros burned with the desire to catch his other. That Shout, Storm Call, was possibly the most destructive Thu'um he had ever learned, second in destructive capabilities only to Alduin's Meteor Storm. It commanded nature itself, summoning a massive storm that struck down friends and foes alike. He had only used it once, and swore to never do so again.

The fact that the other him was willing to do so, even when his own allies would be caught in it, showed that he had absolutely no regard for the lives of others. And a man with power who didn't care what harm his actions inflicted on others, was possibly one of the worst evils that could be inflicted on the world.

Once everyone had recovered somewhat, Aeros helped them to their feet.

"Come on," he said. "He's most likely somewhere further in."

They made their way through the entrance hall of the ruins, stepping over fallen pieces of rocks and several dead skeevers. There was a small campfire in front of the doorway leading further in, along with several bedrolls, but the owners were most likely stuck in the storm outside.

Aeros and Serana had just crossed the threshold of the archway, when on either side of them, a set of circular runes that they hadn't noticed before blazed brightly. There was a deafening explosion and Aeros tackled Serana out of the way as the tunnel ceiling came crashing down on the spot where they had just been standing.

Coughing violently from the clouds of dust, Aeros and Serana picked themselves up off the floor. Turning around, they saw that the archway was now sealed off by hundreds of pounds of solid rock.

"Aela? Lydia?" Aeros called.

"Here, my Thane!" came the muffled reply.

"Everyone alright?"

"We're fine," came Aela's voice. "A few nicks and bruises, but nothing major. How about on your end?"

"Serana and I are fine. We managed to get out of the way in time. Problem is, we're stuck."

"Hold on, we'll try to shift some of this rock."

Aeros shook his head, stopping when he realized they couldn't see him. Before he could say anything though, Serana spoke up. "No," she said. "That could take hours, if not days. Plus, we can't risk the doppelganger getting away."

"She's right," Aeros said. "You all just saw what he's capable of back there. This needs to end now."

"But how do you plan on getting out?" Aela asked from the other side of the debris.

"If I remember right, there's another exit at the other end of these ruins. The only problem is, it leads out to a ledge halfway up the damned mountain so it's not much use as a way in. You guys wait here for the storm to end, and then meet us in Riverwood."

There was silence on the other end. "Very well, Harbinger," Aela agreed reluctantly. "We'll meet you in Riverwood. Good hunting."

Aeros and Serana picked their way around the bits of rubble on the staircase and made their way deeper into the ruins. The ancient corridors were silent as they passed through, all of the draugr that had guarded this place slain years ago by Aeros. The only barriers to their passage were a handful of the ancient traps that were still active.

As they walked side by side, Serana glanced over at Aeros. His face was drawn and haggard from all of the fighting and stress of the past few days, but despite that, he stood tall, his eyes ablaze with steely determination.

"Aeros," she said slowly, voicing a thought that had been gnawing at her for the past few days. "What are we going to do when we actually catch up to the other you? From everything we've seen, he's as strong as you. Maybe even stronger, since he's not afraid to hold back."

Aeros smiled softly at her. "I won't lose, Serana," he said gently, knowing what her real fear was. "Because I have people and things in this life that I care deeply about, that I will do whatever I can to protect."

Serana wanted to say more, but before she could, they had stepped through the final doorway, and before them stretched the Bleak Falls Sanctum. It was exactly as Aeros remembered, a vast cavern that stretched out away from the Hall of Stories, bats flitting about. And at the far end, stood the Word Wall.

They walked silently down the cavern, drawing closer to the raised platform at the end. Waiting for them was a lone figure, clad in dragonplate armor, with his back turned to them.

At last, they stood on the platform, facing the doppelganger. He slowly turned from his examination of the Word Wall. He smiled, unperturbed at their presence or their drawn weapons.

"Did you ever read this when you first came here?" he asked. He shook his head before they could answer. "No, I suppose not. Neither of us was able to speak the language of the dov when we first came here seeking the Dragonstone, let alone read it. It reads:

'_Here lies the guardian_

_Keeper of dragonstone_

_And a force of unending_

_Rage and darkness._'"

He grinned. "The last part seems quite fitting for you and me, don't you think? A force of unending rage and darkness, spreading pain wherever we go."

Aeros gripped the hilts of his swords tightly, glaring at his doppelganger. "Wrong," he spat. "Maybe that applies to you, but I refuse to become that."

"Oh?" the other him said in what seemed like disappointment. "Then perhaps it's time we changed that."

Almost faster than Aeros or Serana could react, he drew his swords and dashed forward. Reacting by reflex, Aeros brought his own swords up, and with a loud crash, their blades met. Aeros attempted to slash at the other him, but his doppelganger quickly disengaged and retreated back several steps. They circled each other waringly, staring intently into each other's eyes before, as one, they crashed back together.

Serana watched patiently, waiting for an opening. She wished she could help Aeros more, but as it was right now, if she tried to intervene, she would get cut to ribbons. The two Dragonborn spun and weaved around each other, their swords nothing more than blurs as they cut and stabbed at each other, at the same time blocking and parrying each and every single move their opponent threw at them. So far, the fight hadn't involved Shouts, relying only on pure swordsmanship, but she knew that could change in a single instant.

As the two disengaged yet again, Serana saw her chance. Reaching out, she resurrected the nearby body of a draugr, lying forgotten in front of the Word Wall. The draugr reached out and grabbed a hold of the doppelganger's legs, causing him to trip and fall. Aeros didn't miss the opportunity, and slashed downward with his sword.

The razor sharp edge sliced down the side of the other Aeros's face, opening a gash that ran from his temple to the bridge of his nose. He roared in pain as blood poured down, obscuring his right eye.

"You little bitch," he growled, glaring at Serana. "FUS RO DAH!"

Serana was sent flying back, crashing into a cavern wall. She hit the ground with a dull thud, groaning.

"Serana!" Aeros called worriedly.

She pushed herself up off the ground. "I'm fine, don't worry," she said as she tried to get to her feet. "Just give me a few seconds."

Aeros turned back towards the other him, pulsing with anger. "That was a very big mistake," he growled.

The other him grinned widely. "Oh really? And what are you going to do about it?"

Aeros took a deep breath, and realizing what he was doing, his doppelganger followed suit.

"FUS RO DAH!" they both shouted.

The entire cavern shook as the force of their Thu'ums collided, and they were both blown back.

Aeros refused to give up, and as he climbed back to his feet, he again shouted.

"YOL TOOR SHUL!"

"FO KRAH DIIN!" sounded his voice from the other side of the platform.

Fire and ice met violently, clashing together before canceling each other out and cloaking the room in a thick cloud of steam.

Aeros used the cover of the steam to rush over to Serana. He crouched down next to her and helped her to her feet.

"Are you all right?" he asked.

"Yeah," she replied, smiling weakly. "But I've got to say, never thought I'd get to experience that Shout firsthand."

Before either of them could say anything more, they were cut off by a voice from somewhere within the cloud of steam.

"LOK!"

The steam quickly dispersed, and they once again found themselves facing a twisted reflection of Aeros.

"That's it," he growled. "I'm going to make sure that after this, everyone you've ever known and loved suffers horribly, starting with your vampire lover right there."

"Not if I can help it," Aeros said resolutely.

The two of them flew at each other again, this time using a combination of swords and Shouts. The very air trembled from the power of their Thu'ums, and rang from the impact of their blades.

This time, Aeros and Serana fought together, Serana using her dagger and magic to inflict as much injury as she could to the doppelganger, while Aeros fought him off with sword and Voice.

How long they fought, Aeros didn't know. It felt like an eternity, but at the same time, it felt like everything was occurring in the blink of an eye. The two of them strove to defeat the other, pitting everything they had against each other.

But in the end, power and rage weren't enough.

As the two versions of Aeros clashed once again, Serana unleashed a bolt of lightning. It lanced into the doppelganger's shoulder right as he was lifting his sword up for an overhead blow. He bellowed in pain, his stance broken. In a single fluid movement, Aeros swept his sword up in an arc and kicked the other man's feet out from under him. There was a loud ringing, as two reflections of Aeros's own blades were torn from the grip of his doppelganger, landing with a clatter in the far corner of the chamber

As the other Aeros fell to his knees, Aeros leveled his blade at his throat.

"Well? Do it!" his doppelganger spat defiantly.

Aeros didn't move, staring silently at the other him.

"First, I want to know one thing," he said quietly. "Why? Why would you do all of this, cause so much pain and death?"

The other Aeros sneered. "Why? Because it's fun!"

Aeros stiffened for a split second, but broke out of it. "No," he said with a shake of his head. "I know myself too well to believe that."

"Evidently you don't," his doppelganger spat contemptuously.

Aeros pressed the tip of his sword even harder against the other man's throat, to the point that he actually drew blood.

"No, that's not the real reason. Tell me the truth."

The two of them stared at each other, one defiant, the other refusing to give up until he had uncovered the truth.

After several moments of this, the doppelganger's features distorted in rage. "You want to know the real reason?" he snarled. "Fine, I'll tell you."

"Years ago, during my attempt to stop the World-Eater, I acquired an Elder Scroll. I brought the scroll to the Throat of the World and read it in an attempt to look into the past and learn the Dragonrend Shout. And I succeeded. But when I returned to my own time, I found that Alduin had sensed what I was doing and come to stop me. I was unprepared."

"I was caught off guard, and in the ensuing battle, was gravely wounded. I would have died, were it not for Paarthurnax's intervention. As it was, I could do nothing as Alduin flew off, victorious."

"While I laid in High Hrothgar, barely clinging to life, Alduin unleashed hell on Skyrim. He and the other dragons killed countless people, and enslaved many others. When I finally recovered, I fought Alduin once again, and forced him to retreat to Sovngarde. I followed him there, and killed him."

"But when I returned to Skyrim, instead of its people welcoming me as their savior and hero, I was met with angry mobs that blamed me for all of the death and destruction. In the ensuing chaos, everyone that I called my friend was killed, all because of their association with me."

He glared up at Aeros, a mixture of sorrow and rage etched on his face. "There's your answer. The reason I became like this is because despite all of my power, despite being some supposed savior, I failed to protect those closest to me."

"Lydia, Carlotta, the mages of Winterhold, everyone in the Companions, everyone I ever cared about, all dead! All because I wasn't strong enough to protect them."

Suddenly, all of the anger fled, leaving behind only great sorrow and pain. "Especially...Eira…"

The last name was said in a whisper, so faint that Serana could barely hear it. _Eira? Who is Eira?_ she wondered. _I've never heard the name before, but it sounds like she was somebody important. Maybe Aeros knows…_

But when she turned towards Aeros to ask him about the name, she was shocked to find that a similar pain was reflected in his eyes. The anger that had been there before was gone, replaced instead by pity, and...understanding?

The doppelganger glared defiantly at them, but Serana realized now that it was a false image, hiding the soul of a broken man within.

"I decided that I would make everyone pay for what they had done for me," he continued. "I rejected my role as hero and became what everyone feared, spreading death and destruction wherever I went."

"Finally, the Jarls sent out men to try and stop me. When that didn't work, in desperation, they turned to the Greybeards for help." He barked out a laugh. "And they answered. The Greybeards, known for their neutrality in the events of the world, came down from High Hrothgar and tracked me down. They used the power of the Voice to immobilize me, and in a fit of irony, used an Elder Scroll to banish me. That is how I ended up here."

There was a long moment of silence, until Aeros finally spoke.

"I'm sorry," he said, to Serana's astonishment. "You've suffered far more than I can imagine, and endured more than any mortal should have to. But surely you know that inflicting even more pain and suffering on others is not what those you cared about would want, especially not Eira?"

The other Aeros bowed his head. "I know," he said quietly. "I understand that now, but I felt like I was left with no other choice. The world had taken everything from me, every scrap of happiness, every bit of joy I ever had, until I was left with nothing but pain and rage."

"That's why I ask a favor of you now. I can't take back what I've done, nor can I bring back those I've killed. But I can still try to make amends, at least to those still alive. Which is why...I want you to kill me."

Aeros was quiet for a long time, as he gazed at this man who was his reflection in every way. Finally, he nodded.

The doppelganger stood up and slowly undid the buckles on his armor, until the heavy dragonbone chestplate dropped to the floor with a loud crash.

Aeros gave his final words to his other self. "I do not know whether or not it is too late for you to enter Sovngarde. But I pray that you are able to once again meet those you care about."

The other version of him nodded and faced Aeros. A thought seemed to pass between them, a silent request and agreement. Aeros nodded, and stepped forward. In one smooth movement, he stabbed his sword through the other man's heart. The other him sagged forward, and Serana helped Aeros lay him on the floor. He looked up at them.

"Thank you," he said softly. "Now...now I can finally rejoin those I love."

And he closed his eyes for the last time.

* * *

Author's Notes: So ends the other version of Aeros Dragon-Bane, a man who lost everything when the world turned its back on him.

This was a rather fun arc to write, for multiple reasons. First, I almost never see someone explore the idea of Dragon Breaks or multiple timelines in Elder Scrolls fanfic, so it was a fun challenge to try and come up with a plausible way to explain one, without resorting to "just because."

The second reason, is because it was interesting to write Aeros as a fallen hero. This other version of him was never a villain from the start. He was a good guy, a hero, just like our version of Aeros. But something went wrong, and everyone he ever loved or cared about was taken from him. Unable to cope with so much pain and loss, he decided to inflict the same suffering on everyone else.

I think that's what makes fallen heroes so fun to write. It's because they _were _good guys in the beginning. They fought the forces of evil and opposed the villain at every turn. But something changed, or happened to them, and suddenly, they're fighting against their former friends and allies, in the role of the villain.

But sometimes, there still lurks that small shred of good within them, some small fragment of humanity that causes them to realize everything they've done. That's what happened in this chapter. The other version of Aeros, defeated, remembered _someone or something_ that allowed him to realize how much wrong he had done. Unable to atone for his sins any other way, he asked Aeros to kill him, in an attempt to repay those he had hurt.

Just one final chapter left for this arc, and I'll apologise beforehand that it's going to be a short one. It deals with the aftermath of the doppelganger's death, since I just couldn't find a way to fit that into this chapter.

But that's enough of my daily monologue.

Characters:

Hadvar: A soldier in the Imperial Legion, Hadvar survived the attack on Helgen. He and Ralof grew up together in the town of Riverwood, and he is one of two choices for who to follow out of Helgen. Afterwards, if you side with the Legion in the Civil War, you can encounter him several more times.

Dragon Language:

Dovah = Dragon

Fo Krah Diin = Frost Cold Freeze (Frost Breath Shout)

Strun Bah Qo = Storm Wrath Lightning (Storm Call Shout)

Fus Ro Dah = Force Balance Push (Unrelenting Force Shout)

Yol Toor Shul = Fire Inferno Sun (Fire Breath Shout)

Lok = Sky (First word of the Clear Skies Shout)


	34. When the Dragon Breaks 7

"_Revenge is like a poison. It can - it can take you over. Before you know it, it can turn us into something ugly."_ — May Parker

"_Beware the dark pool at the bottom of our hearts. In its icy, black depths dwell strange and twisted creatures it is best not to disturb."_ — Sue Grafton, _I is for Innocent_

"_We have a choice about how we take what happens in our life and whether or not we allow it to turn us. We can become consumed by hate and darkness, or we're able to regain our humanity somehow, and come to terms with things and learn something about ourselves." _— Angelina Jolie

* * *

When the Dragon Breaks 7

The cavern was quiet as Aeros stared at the mirror reflection of him, lying dead on the floor. His swords hung forgotten at his sides, and he seemed almost like a statue. As he stood there, Serana quietly approached him. She pulled him close, wrapping her arms around him. At her embrace, Aeros finally allowed himself to relax, resting his head wearily on top of hers, as all of the stress and tension of the past couple days drained out of them both.

They stood like that for several long minutes. After a while though, Serana lifted her head up to look at Aeros, and he gave her a small smile. She pulled away gently, and Aeros let her go, although he kept one arm wrapped around her waist. They both turned to gaze at the doppelganger, and Serana noted something.

"He looks like he's finally at peace," she noted.

Aeros opened his mouth to voice his agreement, but stopped as they both sensed something. Before they could react, a change rippled through the room. As they watched, the image of the other Aeros wavered, and then faded away altogether, leaving no sign behind that he had ever existed.

"What-?" Serana said, startled.

"The timelines have merged back together," Aeros guessed. "With the death of the other me, time is no longer split, and has gone back to the way it should be."

They were both silent as they contemplated that, staring at the spot where the other Aeros had lain. Eventually, Serana turned to Aeros.

"Come on, we should be getting back. By now, the others are probably going mad with worry."

Aeros chuckled. "Either that, or already getting drunk in anticipation of our victory."

Serana laughed in agreement at that.

Grabbing her hand, Aeros pulled her along behind him. "Come on, the exit is just over this way.

* * *

\- Riverwood -

It took Aeros and Serana a good hour to make their way back to town, after they managed to climb down the side of the mountain from where the secret entrance exited.

As they entered the town, they noted that everything was exactly as it had been when they left. Aeros overheard a few guards talking about the sudden storm that had appeared over the barrows, but that was it. It seemed that the storm hadn't spread that far, and the few bandits that had survived had most likely scattered to the winds.

As Aeros and Serana walked through the door of the Sleeping Giant, they were greeted loudly by their friends, who had been waiting for them ever since the storm ended.

"Harbinger! Serana! You survived!"

They all asked about the fight, and what had happened to the doppelganger. Aeros and Serana took turns explaining, including the reason behind the doppelganger's actions, although Serana did notice Aeros left out certain details. However, she said nothing about it. He had his reasons, whatever they were, although she resolved to ask him about it at some point.

Afterwards, they ordered several rounds of drinks in celebration of their success.

\- Later that night -

It was well after midnight, and Aeros was currently sitting by the fire, telling stories to a wide-eyed Aleiane, while Serana listened in amusement. Aela and Farkas were engaged in an arm wrestling match, while Vilkas was currently passed out under a table, having lost an ill-advised drinking competition with the fiery-haired huntress. Lydia had retired several hours beforehand, claiming a headache.

They had celebrated well into the night, joined enthusiastically by the locals, who, although they didn't understand the reason behind the companion's revelries, were more than willing to join in. At last though, they all decided to call it a night. Aleiane headed off towards hers and Aela's room, while Aela and Farkas helped Vilkas stagger towards the room him and Farkas were sharing.

Bidding goodnight to Orgnar and the other patrons, Aeros and Serana retired to their own room. Removing his armor, Aeros laid it and his swords against the wall before blowing out the candle and climbing into bed. It wasn't long before Serana slipped into bed next to him. He wrapped his arm around around her shoulder as she laid her head on his chest.

Neither of them moved or said anything for the longest time, taking comfort in each other's presence. After a while though, Serana turned her head towards Aeros. Even in the dark, her vampiric powers let her easily make him out. He was gazing silently at the ceiling above them, lost in thought.

"What are you thinking about, Aeros?" she asked.

He was silent for several moments, before he sighed and dropped his gaze down to her. He saw her glowing irises staring back at him.

"Just wrestling with some unpleasant thoughts," he answered. "About everything that happened with the other version of me. And his story of what happened to him."

"What about it?" Serana asked, although she felt she already knew the answer.

"He said that the reason he became what he was, was because everyone he cared about was killed. That was the reason that he decided to cause so much pain and suffering."

"I've always tried to think of myself as strong, someone that would always be there for others, no matter what. But, seeing him, seeing me, turn into a monster like that...I'm scared that one day I'll end up the same, and that I'm too weak to stop it."

Serana pushed herself up on her forearms, so that she was gazing down at Aeros.

"Aeros Dragons-Bane, you listen to me," she said sternly. "You are not weak. You've proven that time and time again, since the day I met you. You have always helped others, even when you could have just walked away, and are willing to do anything for your friends. That's not weakness, that's compassion. The reason that other you turned evil, is because he was forced to endure more pain and loss than any mortal can possibly withstand. He suffered the loss of everyone he cared about, and watched as the people he once protected turned against him. Very few could remain good in the face of that."

"And what makes you think that, if the same thing happened to me, I wouldn't make the same mistakes he did?" he demanded quietly.

Serana smiled softly at him. "One reason. I won't let you. If you ever stray off the path of good, I will drag you back to it kicking and screaming, even if I have to beat you over the head to do it."

Aeros chuckled at that, understanding what she was promising him. No matter what, she would always be there for him.

"Thank you, Serana," he said quietly, before he pulled her lips down to his, kissing her gently. When they broke apart, she nuzzled her head back against his chest, and before long, they fell asleep in each other's embrace.

* * *

\- Whiterun -

They all awoke the next morning, and after a brief breakfast, the seven of them mounted their horses and began the short ride back to Whiterun.

When they arrived, they immediately headed up to Jorrvaskr. There, they found the Frost-Veins, and explained to them that the man who had attacked them was gone.

"You dealt with him?" Havard asked, looking at Aeros.

Aeros nodded. "Yes. He won't be troubling you or anyone else ever again."

"Well, that's a damned relief." Havard said. He looked up at them. "Thank you for everything, Dragonborn, we greatly appreciate it. Hell, I wouldn't even be alive if it wasn't for the seven of you!"

He laughed heartily, but soon stopped as he remembered something.

"But that bastard still destroyed our home, and now we have nowhere to go."

"Don't worry about that," Aeros said reassuringly. "Your family can stay here in Jorrvaskr, until you've rebuilt. Speaking of which…"

He unhooked a pouch from his belt, and handed it to Havard and Sera. "Here, this is for you. It should be enough gold to allow you to build a new home and get back on your feet, or to move somewhere else if that's what you decide."

"W-we can't accept this!" Havard sputtered. He tried to give it back, but Aeros refused.

"Take it," he said, waving off their protests. "You need it far more than I do. Besides," he added, "you have your children to worry about." He glanced at where Birgitte, Estrild, and Björn were happily playing. He noted that the eldest, Birgitte seemed fascinated with some nearby Companions practicing their archery.

That last part did the trick, and Sera and Havard finally accepted the bag of gold, albeit with a great deal of gratitude.

After that was taken care of, Aeros, Serana, and Lydia said their goodbyes to the four Companions, and exited Jorrvaskr. Aeros told Lydia to take the rest of the day off, and she left to go grab a drink.

As the two of them walked through the Wind District, Serana glanced over at Aeros and had to stifle a laugh.

"What's so funny?" he asked.

"You just look so content right now," Serana replied in amusement.

"Well, why wouldn't I be?" Aeros asked with a smirk. "Everything's back to normal, the Frost-Veins are back on their feet, and I get to enjoy the day with my beautiful fiancée."

Serana blushed at that, but still managed to smirk back at him. "Just promise me one thing?"

"What's that?"

"No more alternate timelines or multiple versions of you? One of you already gives me enough headaches."

Aeros laughed. He looked over at Serana with a grin. "Alright, I promise. No more time paradoxes or multiple copies of me."

"Good," Serana said, satisfied. "Now, let's go celebrate some more, just the two of us, before someone else comes along who needs your help."

The two of them hurried along the streets of Whiterun, enjoying the moment of peace. What tomorrow would bring, no one could say, but for now, Skyrim was at peace, and everything had returned to normal. As it should be.

* * *

Author's Notes: And here's the final chapter of the When the Dragon Breaks arc! Like I said, it was a short chapter, but I just couldn't find a way to fit this into the end of the last chapter, without it being extremely jarring.

Next up is the Dragonborn DLC, and the battle with Miraak! Looks like I've got an excuse to load up Skyrim again, haha. But I promise this won't just be a written version of the DLC (well, it _will_, but you know what I mean).

Dragon Language: None used.


	35. At the Summit of Apocrypha 1

At the Summit of Apocrypha 1

\- Solitude -

A crisp autumn breeze blew gently through the streets of Solitude. Serana exited the Blue Palace, pulling her hood over her head to protect it from the overhead sun. For the past several days, she had been busy planning hers and Aeros's wedding with Jarl Elisif and her entourage, and she was relieved to finally have a chance to get a breath of fresh air.

She walked down the main avenue, her feet following the familiar path home, to Proudspire Manor. Climbing the steps to the front porch, she opened the door.

"Free at last, Lady Serana?" Jordis asked with a chuckle, leaning back in her chair as she took another bite from her sandwich.

Despite feeling mentally drained, Serana smiled at the housecarl. She had been around Solitude's court for several years before she was assigned to Aeros as his housecarl, so she knew just how exhausting dealing with nobles could be.

She sat down in the chair next to Jordis, gratefully accepting the glass of wine that Jordis handed her. They chit-chatted for a while, talking about the upcoming wedding and various other things.

"Where's Aeros?" Serana asked during a lull in their conversation. She looked around, but didn't see any sign of him.

"My Thane was summoned up to Castle Dour for an officer's meeting earlier this morning," Jordis replied. "I believe he's still there."

"I think I'll go look for him then," Serana said as she pushed back her chair. "We've both been so busy with things lately, we haven't had much of an opportunity for some time to ourselves."

"You two have fun," Jordis said with a grin. "Try to behave yourselves."

Serana stuck her tongue out at her friend, but quickly grinned back. She closed the door behind her and headed up to Castle Dour. As she drew closer, she could hear the sound of clashing steel. The civil war might have been over, but there were still remnants of Stormcloaks hiding in the countryside, and that meant the Legion needed its soldiers ready for battle at any moment.

As she entered the courtyard of the fortress, she looked around for Aeros amongst the soldiers training. It didn't take her long to find him, as he stood out quite a bit.

Aeros was standing by himself, apart from the other soldiers. He was currently stripped down to his waist, sword in either hand as he moved through various sword forms. He flowed from form to form, parrying and attacking imaginary foes.

Serana watched mesmerized as he moved faster and faster, until his blades were nothing more than blurs. She had fought alongside Aeros many times, and had always been impressed with his skill with a blade. But watching him right now, it seemed as if she was witnessing a completely different other level of swordsmanship, as he moved gracefully from one position to another.

After what must have been several minutes, Aeros spun to a stop, facing Serana. His eyes widened as he saw her, and a smile tugged at his lips. He straightened and, setting his swords against a wall, walked towards her.

He pulled her towards him suddenly, causing her to yelp before he cut her off with a kiss. She was caught by surprise for a few brief moments, but she soon returned his kiss passionately. They stayed like that for several long moments before they broke apart, although Aeros kept his arms wrapped around her. He looked down at her.

"So how long have you been standing there watching me?" he asked, his eyes sparkling with amusement.

"Only for a while," she replied breathily. "I came looking for you, and got...distracted." She ran her hands along his chest to show what she meant. "Speaking of which, why don't you have a shirt on?"

Aeros chuckled. "I didn't want to risk ruining it while I was practicing. Plus, it was restricting my movements."

"Well now that you're done, it's time for you to get dressed again," Serana said with mock sternness. "We can't have you wandering around Solitude half-naked. With your luck, you'd be mobbed by every single woman in Haafingar. And a fair number of the married ones too."

Aeros laughed and let go of her while he went to go retrieve his shirt and swords.

Once he was fully dressed again, Serana grabbed his hand and began walking towards the marketplace.

"Where are we going?" Aeros asked, walking alongside Serana.

"Nowhere in particular," Serana replied. "We've just both been really busy lately, me with wedding preparations, and you with the Legion."

"Don't remind me," Aeros groaned. "The past couple days have been nothing but meetings and paperwork. Some of the remnant Stormcloaks have been stirring up trouble in the holds recently, and all the jarls expect us to do something about it."

"Which is why we're going to spend the rest of today doing nothing but enjoy ourselves," Serana said matter-of-factly.

"Sounds like a date to me!" Aeros agreed happily, grinning broadly.

For the rest of the day, the two of them wandered aimlessly through the city, stopping at various stalls, and chatting with friends and acquaintances. They even stopped by the Bards College, where they took part in the Burning of King Olaf festival, which Serana had never seen before.

For a period of time after Aeros had helped Viarmo convince Elisif to reinstate the festival, it had been a weekly celebration. After a while though, interest in it had decreased, and it had returned to being an annual celebration.

As night fell, it found Aeros and Serana outside the city, watching the stars. The sun had set quite a while ago, and all of the streetlamps had been lit, illuminating the city.

"So how was your day with the jarl and her court?" Aeros asked as they lay on a hill overlooking the bay.

Serana sighed. "I can't wait until we're married. All of the politics and gossipping, and bickering over every little choice I make; I swear, I'm going to lose it if I hear one more person tell me my dress would look so much better in _this _color."

"Well, would it?" Aeros asked, his lips twitching as he fought to hide a smile.

"No!" she said crossly. "But by the gods, it's a miracle I haven't killed someone already!"

"Yes, well, killing a member of a jarl's court does tend to be frowned upon," Aeros observed dryly.

"I'm serious!" Serana said as she swatted him. He was unable to contain himself any longer and burst out laughing.

"I know, I know," he said once he had gotten himself back under control. "I'm sorry. You have my complete and utter sympathy for having to deal with that. Mostly." His lips twitched again, but he kept a hold of himself.

"Of course, we could always just run away and elope." he suggested teasingly.

Serana snorted. "And have all of Skyrim come chasing after us? No thanks. Besides, you promised me the wedding of the era, remember? Don't think you're getting out of that."

Aeros flopped down on the grass. "Ah well, it was worth a shot," he said in mock disappointment. He looked over at Serana and smiled.

"Don't worry, that's one promise I plan on keeping. Even if I have to deal with all of this planning stuff for another year."

"What are you talking about?" Serana asked with a glint of amusement in her eyes. "I'm the one having to deal with all of the planning!"

"That's because you won't let me help!" he protested weakly, a grin on his face.

"Because if I do, you're likely to muck everything up," Serana replied with a smirk.

"Well, yeah, that's probably true," Aeros admitted. They both laughed at that.

Serana lay down next to him, and they stared up at the constellations. As they watched, an aurora unfolded overhead, blue and green lights rippling across the night sky.

Eventually, Aeros climbed to his feet and offered Serana his hand.

"Come on," he said. "It's late; we should be getting back."

Serana sighed. "All right," she said, taking his hand and letting him pull her to her feet.

They made their way back up towards the city, the guards letting them in without issue. They walked down the street together, the path softly illuminated by streetlamps. As they passed under the shadow of Solitude's windmill, Serana stopped.

"What is it?" Aeros asked, stopping as well.

"Sorry," Serana said apologetically. "It's just that I suddenly remembered when I first came here with you. How new and exciting everything was, and how big this windmill seemed."

Aeros chuckled at the memory. He had had to practically drag Serana to Proudspire, she had been so fascinated with everything.

"A lot has changed since then," he noted.

Serana nodded. "A lot _has _changed. But I'm glad it did." She squeezed Aeros's hand.

"You there! You are the one they call Dragonborn?" a voice called out from behind them.

Aeros sighed. _What now…?_

"Yes," he replied, turning around. "I'm the Dragon...born…"

His voice trailed off as he found himself facing a group of men. All wearing dark brown robes and some really creepy looking masks.

_Why do I have a bad feeling about this?_ he thought to himself.

"Your lies fall on deaf ears, Deceiver! The True Dragonborn comes. You are but his shadow. When Lord Miraak appears all shall bear witness. None shall stand to oppose him!"

And with that, they attacked.

* * *

Author's Notes: Sorry for the wait. I got caught up in other things, and got sidetracked coming up with ideas for future arcs and the rest of this arc. But here's the first chapter of the Dragonborn DLC.

This chapter was a little short, but that was mainly because I didn't want to rush things, and I also wanted to show that yes, the wedding is still in progress. Plus, I had fun just writing about Aeros and Serana having a day off from adventuring and saving the world!

Unfortunately, there'll be a bit of a wait until the next chapter, as I'm going to be rather busy for the next couple weeks. Hopefully, I'll be able to post the next couple chapters fairly quickly.

Dragon Language: None used.


	36. At the Summit of Apocrypha 2

At the Summit of Apocrypha 2

Aeros pushed Serana behind him as the lead cultist lunged forward with sword in hand. At the same time, he tore one of his own swords from its sheath, bringing it up in front of him just in time to block the cultist's blade. The two of them strained against each other for a brief moment, before Aeros shoved the man away, sending him crashing into one of his companions.

Taking the opportunity provided, Aeros fell back next to Serana.

"Friends of yours?" Serana asked, dagger and spell at the ready as she eyed the cultists.

"Never seen them before in my life," Aeros replied, drawing his other sword.

The cultists climbed to their feet. "Die, deceiver!" one of them spat, casting a fireball at them.

Aeros and Serana threw themselves out of the way, the spell detonating against a building behind them.

Aeros hurriedly got to his feet, just in time to avoid a gout of flames. He glanced over at Serana and was relieved to see she was okay, for the time being. How long that would last, he didn't know. He turned his attention back to their attackers.

There were about five of them, all dressed in the same robes and masks. Besides the one wielding a Nordic sword, the others carried nothing more than a dagger on them. The real problem though, was their magic. With that many of them, if he let them control the pace of the battle…

With a yell, he dashed forward, swords already moving. He parried the blade of the first cultist with the sword in his left hand, slashing upwards with his right. The keen edge sliced through the brown robe easily, cutting deep into the man's midsection. Aeros silently thanked whatever god was responsible for him having his swords with him.

With a gasp, the cultist fell to his knees, clutching at the wound. Aeros finished him off with a thrust through the neck.

"AEROS, DUCK!" he heard Serana yell. Not even bothering to glance up, Aeros did as she said, dropping to the ground, and not a moment too soon, as he felt a wave of intense heat pass over his head.

Rolling to his feet, Aeros was greeted with the sight of an ice spike zooming towards his head. He leaned back and watched as it flew by. He faced the cultist who had cast the spell, and before the woman could throw anything else at him, shouted.

"IIZ SLEN NUS!"

The woman was abruptly encased in ice, teetering momentarily before crashing down to the ground and shattering.

Glancing over at Serana, he saw she was now facing off against two of the remaining cultists, who were firing spells off one after the other as they attempted to flank her

"KRII LUN AUS!"

At first, the effects of Aeros's Shout weren't apparent; that is, until the two cultists found themselves struggling to hold Serana at bay. She grinned as she realized what had happened, and renewed her attack.

Aeros hadn't stopped to wait for his Shout to take effect, instead turning his attention back to the remaining cultist.

"I don't suppose you'd be willing to tell me who's behind all this?" he asked as he parried the man's dagger aside.

"Die!"

"I figured you were going to say that," Aeros sighed. As the man swiped at him again, he expertly sidestepped. As the man stumbled forward, off balance, Aeros smashed the pommel of his sword into the man's mask. The mask shattered, as did the cartilage in the man's nose.

The man, or dark elf actually, swore as blood spurted out of his broken nose. He still didn't give up though, and tried to blast Aeros with a bolt of lightning. Tried.

The Dunmer pointed his hand at Aeros, the spell already prepared. Before he could do anything though, an ice spike sprouted from the side of his head in a spout of blood. He collapsed bonelessly.

Aeros turned to Serana. "Thanks," he said appreciatively.

"Anytime," Serana replied with a smile. "Is that all of them?"

Aeros nodded. "Yeah, I think so. I took out two of them, and didn't see any more."

"Only two?" Serana asked teasingly. "You're slipping, Aeros. I got three."

"Hold on," Aeros objected. "Since when was this a contest? And besides, I helped with two of those."

"I don't know if you can call that 'helping,'" Serana said dismissively. "All you did was shout some fancy words at them. I could have taken them without your help." She smiled as Aeros glared indignantly at her.

Aeros wasn't able to stay like that for long, and soon his face split into a grin. "Fine, I'll give this one to you," he conceded. "But don't expect to win next time!"

They both laughed at that, but soon Aeros grew serious. "All joking aside," he said seriously. "Just who were these guys?"

Serana frowned. "I don't know. I've never seen them before. And you say you haven't either?"

Aeros shook his head. "No. I've never seen them before today."

"What was that about you being some kind of deceiver?" Serana wondered.

"I have no idea," Aeros said with a shrug. "Hopefully, they have some kind of hint on them that can answer that for us. Here, I'll search these three, you check the other two."

Serana nodded and began searching through the clothing of two of the cultists, while Aeros did the same with the other three.

It didn't take long for Serana to find something. Tucked inside the sash of a female cultist, she found a scrap of folded paper. She handed it to Aeros.

"Here, she had this."

Aeros opened the note and read aloud.

"Board the vessel Northern Maiden docked at Raven Rock. Take it to Windhelm, then begin your search. Kill the False Dragonborn known as Aeros before he reaches Solstheim.

Return with word of your success, and Miraak shall be most pleased."

"Miraak? Who the hell is Miraak?" Serana asked, her brows knitting together in confusion.

"I don't know," Aeros said with a shrug. "Although the cultists did say something about him being the 'True Dragonborn,' or something like that."

"Another Dragonborn?" Serana said in shock. A thought occurred to her then. "Wait...please tell me this isn't another doppelganger thing," she asked, sighing wearily.

Aeros chuckled. "I doubt it. Although, this person might not really be Dragonborn."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, you know how there's other people who can use the Thu'um, like the Greybeards?"

Serana nodded, understanding now where he was going with this.

"It's possible that this Miraak is someone like that, who's been taught how to use the Thu'um. Of course, if that's true, that's worrying in of itself, if he's going around convincing people that he's Dragonborn."

"Hmm…"

Aeros pocketed the note. "Either way, I want to know why someone is sending people after us."

Serana nodded. "I want to know that too. Maybe we can find some more clues about this Miraak guy onboard this 'Northern Maiden.'"

Aeros stood and helped Serana to her feet. "Well then, it's off to Windhelm. We'll need to head back to Proudspire first though, so that I can grab my armor and whatever else we'll need. The rest we can pick up at Hjerim."

Serana nodded, and they hurriedly made their way back to Proudspire, after giving a brief explanation to the guards as to what had happened.

As they walked through the front door of Proudspire, Jordis greeted them from the kitchen.

"It's about time you two got ba-" the blonde-haired housecarl started to say, but stopped when she saw the state they were in. "My Thane!" she said in shock. "What happened?! The two of you are covered in blood!"

"I'll leave this to you," Aeros said to Serana as he went to retrieve his armor.

Jordis looked expectantly at Serana.

"We were attacked on our way back," Serana explained. She told Jordis about the attack and the note they had found on one of the cultists.

"That's why we're heading to Windhelm, to get to the bottom of this," she finished.

Jordis nodded in understanding. "Very well," she said, right as Aeros came back up the stairs, wearing his armor and with a pack slung over his shoulder.

"Ready to go, Serana?" he asked. She nodded, and he turned towards Jordis.

"Jordis, I have no idea how long we'll be gone," he said warningly. "But don't expect us back for at least a couple days, maybe longer."

Jordis nodded. "Alright. But what about your pre-existing appointments? What should I tell General Tullius and the court?" she asked.

Aeros grinned crookedly. "Whatever you like." He laughed when Jordis simply sighed. "Relax, Jordis. It's not like Tullius will have your head for me disappearing."

"It's not the General that I'm worried about, my Thane," Jordis said. "I'm more concerned with the noblewomen when they find out Lady Serana has run off."

Serana winced as she imagined their reactions. "I'm sorry, Jordis," she said apologetically. "I promise to make it up to you when we get back."

"And how exactly do you plan on doing that?" Aeros asked with a chuckle.

"By having you go and apologize to them in person," Serana said simply. The two women laughed at the look of dismay on his face.

The two of them said their goodbyes to Jordis, and exited the house. As they walked down the street, a sudden thought struck Aeros and he couldn't help but let out a small chuckle. Serana eyed him curiously.

"What's so funny?" she asked.

"I just realized that it looks like we both get that break we've been asking for," Aeros explained.

"Yes, but why does it take someone trying to kill us for that to happen?" Serana asked with a sigh, smiling ruefully.

Aeros just laughed.

* * *

\- Windhelm -

The trip to Windhelm was uneventful, and the two of them found themselves standing on the docks a few days later.

They had made a brief stop at Hjerim, Aeros's house in Windhelm, to pick up some more potions and other supplies, before making their way to the docks. It didn't take long for Serana to find out where they could find the Northern Maiden and her captain, Gjalund Salt-Sage. The two of them walked down the docks, both of them keeping their hands near their weapons.

"We'll need to be careful," Aeros said to Serana. "Chances are that there are more of these cultists waiting on the ship." Serana nodded in agreement.

That was why, when they reached the Northern Maiden, they were both surprised by what they found. It was just a regular sailing vessel, with no sign of cultists or guards. In fact, the only thing that seemed odd about the ship was the crew. They moved about in a dazed manner, as if they had just woken up from a dream.

"Are these people alright?" Serana asked quietly. Aeros shook his head.

"I don't know. But they certainly don't seem like a threat."

They managed to get one of the crew members to direct them to their captain. Once again, they were surprised by what they found. Gjalund Salt-Sage sat in a chair at the stern of the ship, gazing out at the Sea of Ghosts in a lost manner.

"Excuse me, sir, are you Gjalund?" Aeros asked. "Captain of the Northern Maiden?"

Gjalund looked up at him. "Aye, that's right. Why?"

"My name is Aeros and this is my fiancée, Serana," Aeros said. "You came here from Solstheim, right?"

Gjalund's face hardened at the mention of Solstheim. "Look, I don't know why you're interested in that place, but I'm not going back there."

Aeros and Serana glanced at each other. "Why not?" Serana asked.

Gjalund's shoulders slumped in exhaustion. "It's hard to explain," he said tiredly. "I remember those people with the masks coming on board, then… Next thing I remember, we were here and they were gone. That's not right, losing whole days like that!"

He shook his head. "There's been something strange going on there for a while, but after this… I'm done. I'm not going back to Solstheim."

"Please, sir," Serana said imploringly. "We really need to get to that island."

"Have you been listening to me?" Gjalund growled. "I'm not going back there."

Aeros spoke up at this point. "You owe us," he said bluntly. "Those cultists you brought here tried to kill me."

Gjalund's face paled. "Now hold on!" he protested. "That wasn't my fault… I didn't know they were going to attack anybody." He stopped and sighed, rubbing the bridge of his nose. "But you have a point. Taking you back to find out who sent them is the least I can do. Besides, maybe you can put a stop to whatever's going on over there. I owe them a bit of payback myself."

"So you'll take us to Solstheim?" Aeros asked.

Gjalund nodded. "Aye. We set sail in an hour." He left to go gather up his men and some supplies, leaving the two of them standing there alone.

"Well, we've got our passage to Solstheim," Serana said.

Aeros nodded distractedly. "We did. But this is more complicated than I thought."

"You mean the captain and the crew not remembering the past couple days?" Serana guessed. Aeros nodded. "What could cause that?"

"Well, there's a couple spells that can alter a person's memory," Aeros said thoughtfully. "But as far as I know, those only work on individuals, not groups of people or an entire ship's crew."

"What does that mean?" Serana asked.

Aeros shrugged. "I'm not sure. It could mean that either this cult has some powerful spellcasters in their midsts, or this Miraak person is more powerful than we thought. Either way, we won't know until we get to Solstheim."

An hour later, Aeros and Serana stood on the deck of the Northern Maiden as it entered the Sea of Ghosts, watching as the city of Windhelm steadily grew smaller and smaller, before it disappeared from view entirely. Neither of them said anything for a long time, still staring at the receding coastline of Skyrim.

"In three days, we'll be in Solstheim," Aeros said suddenly, startling Serana. After a moment, she nodded in agreement.

"And then we can get to the bottom of all this, and return home," she said, turning to look towards the horizon.

Aeros nodded, but remained silent. _I hope so_, he thought to himself. _But why do I have a feeling that it won't be that simple?_

* * *

\- Three Days Later -

A knock on their cabin door woke Aeros.

"Dragonborn? Lady Serana?" a voice called politely through the door.

"What is it?" Aeros asked blearily, rubbing the sleep from his eyes.

"The captain sent me to let you know that we'll be approaching Solstheim shortly."

"Thank you," Aeros replied. "Let him know that we'll be up on deck shortly."

"Yes, sir." Aeros heard the muffled sound of footsteps retreating. With a groan, he sat up and swung his feet over the side of the bed. He got dressed, and was buckling on his armor when he heard Serana stir behind him.

"What's going on?" she asked, covering her mouth as she yawned.

Aeros glanced at her and chuckled. Serana was looking at him sleepily, fighting back the urge to yawn again. Her hair, free from its customary braid, cascaded gently over her shoulders, as the covers bunched around her waist . She looked, in a word, breathtaking.

"What's so funny?" she demanded, noticing his mirth.

"I was just thinking how lucky I am to have met you," he replied.

Serana's expression softened, and she smiled at him. "And I'm lucky to have met you," she said in response. "I'm glad you're the one who freed me from that tomb."

"A task I would gladly do again, lady of mine," Aeros said with a mock bow. Serana burst into laughter at his antics.

"Now, what's going on?" she asked again, once she regained control of herself.

"Captain Gjalund says we're approaching Solstheim, and I wanted to head up on deck to get a good look before we dock."

Serana threw the covers off and climbed out of bed. "Let me just get dressed and then we can go together."

Once they were both dressed and armed, they left their cabin and made their way to the bow of the ship.

"Ugh," Serana said in disgust, covering her nose and mouth. "What's wrong with the air?"

"It's all the ash from Red Mountain," Aeros said, pointing off the starboard side of the ship. Off in the distance, they could just make out the hazy outline of the giant volcano, spewing ash into the air.

"We're pretty close to Morrowind," he explained, "and a lot of the ash from Vvardenfell makes its way out here."

It was at this moment that Gjalund joined them. "Well, here we are," he said. "This is Raven Rock. Can't say I'm all that glad to see it again."

The two of them turned their attention back to the front of the ship. As they drew closer to the port, Aeros and Serana examined the surrounding coastline curiously. To their surprise, everything was coated in a thick layer of ash. They could see what looked like some form of giant mushroom further down the coast, along with several odd jellyfish-like creatures that floated through the air.

"Gods, why would anyone want to live here?" Serana asked, as they took in the bleak appearance of the land.

Aeros shrugged. "For varying reasons, I'm sure. A lot of the people here are Dunmer, who fled here after Red Mountain erupted. For others, well, for probably the same reasons why people live in Skyrim, or Black Marsh, or the Alik'r Desert. It's all they know."

He rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Although, I have heard that the northern half of the island is supposed to be relatively ash-free."

Their discussion was forced to a stop as the crew began securing mooring lines. Aeros turned to Gjalund.

"Thank you for taking us here, Gjalund," he said. "I know that you didn't want to come back." He handed the man a bag of gold as payment for their passage.

Gjalund nodded in thanks. "Yes, well, I had my doubts, but if anyone can figure out what's going on around here, it's you, Dragonborn. Good luck."

Aeros and Serana gathered the rest of their belongings and said their goodbyes to the captain and the crew. As they stepped off the ship however, they found their way blocked by a finely dressed dark elf.

"Can we help you?" Aeros asked politely, realizing this dark elf wasn't going to let them by.

"I am Adril Arano, Second Councilor of Raven Rock," the elf said stiffly. "I don't recognize you, so I'll assume this is your first visit to Raven Rock, outlanders. State your intentions."

Serana expected Aeros to be offended by the rude manner in which this Dunmer treated them, but he brushed it off easily.

"My name is Aeros, and this is Serana," he said, introducing themselves. "We're looking for Miraak. Do you know him?"

The Second Councilor blinked several times at the name, and his eyes seemed to grow distant as he replied, "Miraak...I...I'm not sure that I do."

Aeros and Serana looked at each other. They had received this same response each time they had questioned a crew member about Miraak on their way here.

The Dunmer, Arano, seemed to focus on them again. "Just remember, Raven Rock is sovereign territory of House Redoran. This is Morrowind, not Skyrim. While you're here you will be expected to abide by our laws."

Aeros decided to press his luck. "Are you sure you don't know who Miraak is?" he asked.

Again, the elf seemed to go into a sort of trance. "I...I'm unsure. I swear I know the name, but cannot place it."

He made as if to turn away, so Aeros tried one last time.

"Can you tell us anything about him?" he asked. Adril froze, and answered slowly.

"I don't think so. I'm not… The name has something to do with the Earth Stone, I think. But I'm not sure what."

_Finally_, Aeros thought. _A clue_. "Can you tell us where to find this Earth Stone?"

Adril, it seemed, was able to answer this question easily enough. "What?" he asked, snapping out of his daze. "Oh yes, just follow this road through Raven Rock and along the shoreline. It's right on the edge of town."

"Thank you, sir."

"Just mind that you follow the law while here, and you'll have no trouble here." Aeros and Serana left as Adril began talking with Gjalund, something about supplies and the East Empire Trading Company raising prices again.

The two of them made their way through the town easily enough. As they drew closer to the outskirts of the settlement though, Serana noticed something.

"Hey, Aeros," she said quietly. "Does something about these people seem...off to you?"

"Hmm? What do you mean?" Aeros asked, distracted by his own thoughts.

Serana struggled to explain. "Well, I mean...just look at them," she said finally, gesturing helplessly.

Aeros finally looked around, and saw that she was right. All around them, various people either shuffled about in a dream-like state, or just stood there, gazing aimlessly into space.

"You're right," he said. "And it's not just these people either. It's the rest of the townsfolk too. They might not be acting as oddly, but none of them are giving these people a second glance."

"What do you think is causing them to behave like this?" Serana wondered aloud.

Aeros started to shrug, but stopped as they rounded the corner.

"Well, that's a new one," he muttered.

At the end of the path they were following was a giant stone spire, with strange carvings on it. It almost resembled some of the standing stones that dotted Skyrim's landscape; there were just a few glaring differences.

All around what Aeros assumed was the Earth Stone, people toiled, building...something. It almost looked like a shrine of sorts. There was also the minor issue of the stone being cloaked in a sickly green aura.

As they approached the Stone, Serana nudged Aeros with her elbow. "Aeros, these people...they're chanting something."

They both listened intently, and felt a shiver run down their spines.

_Here in his shrine, that they have forgotten._

_Here do we toil, that we might remember._

_By night we reclaim, what by day was stolen._

_Far from ourselves, he grows ever near to us._

_Our eyes once were blinded, now through him do we see._

_Our hands once were idle, now through them does he speak._

_And when the world shall listen, and when the world shall see, and when the world remembers, that world will cease to be._

The chant echoed from the lips of every person there, all of them moving in a trance, and speaking as if controlled by one mind.

"All right, I'm officially creeped out," Serana said. She looked at Aeros imploringly. "You're the Arch-Mage here; just what the hell is going on?"

Aeros shook his head helplessly. "Serana, I wish I knew. It's possible to control someone's mind with magic, but an entire town? That would require an artifact on the same level as that of a Daedric Prince's!"

The two of them walked around the Stone, trying to see if they could wake the people from their trance. But no matter what they did, the people continued to work mindlessly.

"You there…" a voice said thoughtfully from behind them. "The two of you don't seem to be in quite the same state as the others here. Very interesting."

They turned around and found themselves facing a Dunmer dressed in elaborate wizard robes, studying them intently.

They waited for him to say something else, but when all he did was continue to stare at them, Aeros finally spoke up.

"Excuse me, who are you?" he asked, breaking the awkward silence.

"I am Master Neloth, of House Telvanni," the dark elf replied. "May I ask what it is you are doing here?"

"We're looking for someone named Miraak," Aeros answered, expecting the same response from Neloth that they had gotten from everyone else. To his surprise, Neloth actually seemed to think about the name.

"Miraak...Miraak… It sounds familiar but I can't quite place… Oh. Wait. I recall. But that makes very little sense. Miraak's been dead for thousands of years."

Aeros and Serana glanced at each other. "What does that mean?" Serana asked.

"I'm not sure, but it is fascinating, isn't it? Quite unexpected. Perhaps it is connected to whatever these people are working on." He seemed interested in the idea but set it aside for later.

"I'm afraid I can't give you any answers. But there are ruins of an ancient temple of Miraak's towards the center of the island. If I were you, I'd look there."

Aeros looked towards the center of the island. Hopefully, this temple could provide the answers to all of their questions. He turned back towards Neloth.

"How do we get to this temple?"

* * *

Author's Notes: Onwards, to the Temple of Miraak! Sorry for the delay, but here's the second chapter of At the Summit of Apocrypha. Hopefully, I won't take so long for the next chapter.

Characters:

Gjalund Salt-Sage: Captain of the Northern Maiden, he frequently makes trips to and from Solstheim. Following the start of the Dragonborn DLC, you can find him moving about his ship in a daze, uncertain of how he arrived in Windhelm.

Adril Arano: The Second Councilor of Raven Rock, Adril greets you upon your arrival to Solstheim, demanding to know your reason for being there.

Neloth: A master wizard of House Telvanni, Neloth lives in the mushroom tower of Tel Mithyn, where he conducts his research and experiments. He assists you in your quest to defeat Miraak by helping you retrieve a Black Book from a nearby set of Dwemer ruins.

Dragon Language:

Iiz Slen Nus = Ice Flesh Statue (Ice Form Shout)

Krii Lun Aus = Kill Leech Suffer (Marked for Death Shout)


	37. At the Summit of Apocrypha 3

At the Summit of Apocrypha 3

Following the directions of Neloth, Aeros and Serana traveled inland in search of the temple. It was slow going, as the ash-filled landscape was unfamiliar to both of them. Still, they moved at a steady pace, and gradually the ash began to give way to snow as they travelled further north.

"What are you thinking, Aeros?" Serana finally asked, breaking the silence. They had made some idle chit-chat when they first set out from Raven Rock, but the further inland they went, the more and more tense Aeros had gotten, until he eventually fell completely silent, his attention focused solely on the path ahead of them.

Aeros glanced at her, and there was a brief pause before he answered. "I'm just worried, that's all."

"About what?"

He shrugged. "This Miraak person, those cultists, what we might find in this temple. A bunch of different things, really."

Serana looked at him, curious. "Why?" she asked. "Is it because of what we saw at the Earth Stone?"

"That's part of it," he admitted. "But to be honest, this entire place makes me feel on edge. Ever since we set foot on the island, I've felt uneasy, as if someone is watching me. I can't wait to get to the bottom of all this, and find out what's affecting these people, but at the same time, there's a part of me that keeps whispering that I should just grab you and run as far away from this place as we can."

He glanced over at her again and cracked a small smile. "Maybe I'm just being paranoid, the result of too many adventures," he joked with some of his old cheer. He looked towards the top of the hill they had been climbing, where he could see part of the temple looming over the top. "Hopefully, this temple of Miraak's can provide us with a few answers to our questions."

They crested the hill they had been climbing, and both of them stopped dead.

"Or maybe it'll raise a whole bunch of new ones…" Serana whispered in shock.

Continuing on up the hill was the path to the temple. And littering the sides of it and the surrounding hillside were dragon skeletons; dozens of dragon skeletons.

"By the Nine," Aeros breathed, staring wide-eyed at the graveyard of bones. He crouched down next to one skeleton, running his hands along its snow-covered surface. His fingers stopped at the numerous grooves cutting deep into its ribs.

He looked up at Serana. "That part of me I told you about, the one whispering for us to run away? It's screaming now."

They continued up the path to the temple, the bones only growing more numerous. As they neared the giant structure, they heard the sound of workers.

"Do you hear that?" Aeros said, cocking his head to hear better. "It sounds like there's people up ahead. I'm betting that they're being controlled, like the ones at the Earth Stone."

Serana nodded in agreement, but stopped as she noticed another sound. "Wait, what's that?" she asked aloud. "It sounds like there's someone else there."

"Yrsa, can you hear me?" a voice cried. "You must listen to me! We must leave this place!"

Aeros and Serana reached the top of the hill, and looked down into the temple below. They saw a young blonde-haired Nord woman dressed in heavy armor desperately trying to wake the laborers from their trance. As they watched, she released her hold on another young woman, and turned towards a nearby man.

"Oslaf, please!" she pleaded. "You must fight against what is controlling you!"

When she received no response, other than the continuous pounding of a hammer against stone, she slumped to the ground in defeat.

Aeros and Serana picked their way down towards the despondent woman. She lifted her head at their approach, and her eyes widened as she realized they weren't in the same state as the others.

"You there!" she said as she climbed to her feet. "What brings you to this place? Why are you here?" She eyed them warily, and yet she couldn't completely hide the gleam of hope in her eyes.

Aeros spread his hands in a peaceful gesture. "Don't worry, we mean you no harm," he said calmly. "My name is Aeros, and this is Serana. Who are you?"

The woman hesitated for a brief second, but decided to answer. "I am Frea of the Skaal," she replied.

"Skaal?" Aeros asked with interest. He had never heard the term before.

Frea nodded. "Yes. My people have lived on Solstheim for many generations. Our people are tied to the land itself. We try to serve the All-Maker, to live in balance with nature, instead of exploiting it as others would."

"What are you doing all the way out here, Frea?" Serana asked.

Frea's expression darkened. "I am here to either save my people or avenge them," she said determinedly.

"You came here by yourself?"

"There are few of us left unaffected by this curse," she explained. "My father Storn, the shaman, protects them in the village. I fashioned an amulet to protect me against whatever has taken hold of the Skaal, but it is the only one of its kind."

"Do you know what is affecting these people?" Aeros questioned her. "We saw some people behaving similarly near Raven Rock. They were building some sort of structure around the Earth Stone."

Frea shook her head. "I am unsure," she answered. "Something has taken control of most of the people of Solstheim. It makes them forget themselves and work on these horrible creations that corrupt the Stones, the very land itself. My father says that Miraak has returned to Solstheim, but that is impossible."

Aeros and Serana looked at each other, wide-eyed. Aeros turned back to Frea.

"Perhaps not," he said. "We came here because someone claiming to be Miraak tried to have me killed."

"Then you and I both have reason to see what lies beneath us. Let us go. There is nothing more I can do here. The Tree Stone and my friends are beyond my help for now. We need to find a way into the temple below."

Aeros nodded. "Alright then. The first thing we need to do is try and find a way in-" He stopped as he heard the faint sound of moving stone. "Hold on. Did you hear that?"

Before Frea or Serana could answer, he spun around, yelling "Watch out!"

They threw themselves out of the way just in time to dodge an incoming fireball. It exploded against a nearby stone pillar, but luckily avoided injuring anyone, including the enthralled Skaal.

From the center of the temple came a group of cultists, running towards them yelling war cries. Aeros, Serana, and Frea all stood, and drew their weapons.

Aeros caught a cultist's axe blade on the crossguard of his sword. They strained against one another for a few seconds, before Aeros suddenly twisted his wrist, wrenching the axe out of the masked man's hand and sending it sailing harmlessly through the air. Before the man could retreat, Aeros plunged his other sword through his chest. As the body collapsed to the ground, Aeros stepped over it to engage his next opponent.

Meanwhile, Serana easily held her own against two of the cultists' magic users. They had targeted her because she was the most lightly armored of the three, and had seemed like the easiest opponent. Instead, they found themselves defending themselves desperately against the deadly combination of spells and dagger, unable to even find the time to do anything more than cast wards.

Frea engaged the last cultist, relying on her heavy armor to protect her, while she focused solely on attack. Her twin war axes whirled around her in a flurry, cutting into the flesh of her opponent time and time again. Finally, one of her axes buried itself in the cultist's throat, and the woman fell with a strangled cry.

Within minutes, the fight was over, and besides a few nicks and bruises, none of them were seriously injured. All six cultists lay dead, three by Aeros's hands alone.

As they stood there, Serana looked at Frea appraisingly. "Well fought," she said, impressed with the other woman's skill. "Where'd you learn how to fight like that?"

Frea took a moment to catch her breath before answering. "Skof the Giant, our former chieftain, taught me how to fight. He was a great bear of a man, and a fearsome warrior. I was a restless and angry child when I was little, and Skaf taught me swordplay so I could, as he used to say 'put that fire to good use.'" She smiled at the memory.

It only lasted a moment though, before she stopped and shook her head. "But now is not the time for reminiscing about childhood memories. These cultists have opened a way for us. Come, let us see what lies below."

The three of them made their way down the ramp that had been revealed when the cultists had attacked them. Opening the door at the bottom, they entered the temple. They cautiously explored the rooms and chambers of the temple as they descended, wary of more cultists.

As they descended, Aeros asked Frea a question that had been on his mind since they arrived at the temple.

"Frea," he said as they walked down a flight of stairs. "What can you tell us about Miraak? Everytime I've tried asking someone about him, they're unable to tell me anything."

Frea recalled what she knew from the legends. "Miraak's story is as old as Solstheim itself," she explained. "He served the dragons before their fall from power, as most did. A priest in their order."

"A Dragon Priest?" Aeros asked. He had fought several of their order in his adventures in Skyrim, and they were all extremely powerful, their powers enhanced even further by the magical masks they wore, gifted to them by the dragons they had served.

Frea nodded. "Yes. But unlike most, he turned against them. He made his own path, and his actions cost him dearly. The stories say he sought to claim Solstheim for himself, and the dragons destroyed him for it."

"Why would he turn on his masters?" Serana asked. "Surely he knew what would happen?"

Frea shrugged. "I do not know what it is Miraak learned that gave him reason to turn on his masters." She glanced around at the various traps and skeletons. "But his path seems to have been a cruel one. Perhaps we will find some answers to what happened so long ago further in this temple."

They continued to make their way deeper into the temple, fighting their way past cultists, draugr, and numerous traps, and entering the temple's innermost chambers. As they descended yet another flight of stairs, Frea voiced her thoughts.

"How much deeper can this place be?" she wondered. "I had been told that Miraak's power was great, but to have built so large a temple…"

Her words trailed off as they entered the room at the bottom of the stairs. It was a large chamber, and fairly spacious. Off to the left was a black Word Wall, while to their right were five sarcophagi. In the center of the room lay a chest, with another sarcophagus behind it. But what held all of their attentions was the dragon skeleton suspended in the air above their heads, displayed for all to see.

"I had heard Miraak had turned against the Dragon Cult," Frea breathed, "but to display the remains in a manner such as this… It is no wonder the dragons razed his temple to the ground. Seeing the remains hung up like trophies must have enraged them to no end."

They all stared at the skeleton for several long moments, before Aeros shook himself, and went to go examine the Word Wall, leaving Frea and Serana to talk amongst themselves.

"You had no idea this was down here?" Serana asked Frea. The Skaal shook her head.

"None whatsoever. As I said, the dragons razed Miraak's temple to the ground long ago, and ever since then, all of this has been sealed off."

"Then what are you hoping to find here?" Serana asked curiously.

Frea sighed heavily, and shook her head. "I do not know. Hopefully, a way to free my people, but at the very least, perhaps some answers as to what is happening to the people of Solstheim."

Their conversation was interrupted as the entire room started to shake and rumble violently. Dust rained down on their heads as they tried to steady themselves. Aeros hurried to join them, staggering as the vibrations threatened to knock him off his feet.

"Something feels wrong," Frea yelled over the noise. "Brace yourselves!" She drew her war axes and tensed.

Abruptly, the shaking stopped. Before they could wonder at this, the air was split by a loud crack, and the lid to the sarcophagus in the center of the room crashed to the ground, echoed by the five others.

"Aav Dilon!" the lead draugr shouted in a rasping voice, leveling its ebony sword at their group as the others fanned out around them.

Aeros drew both of his swords, holding the keen-edged blades at the ready.

"No thanks," he replied. "I much prefer living."

With a collective snarl, the draugr charged. Aeros let out a yell of his own before rushing forward to meet them, followed closely by Serana and Frea.

Aeros brought his swords crashing down on the shield of the draugr that seemed to be in charge. The draugr shoved him back with its shield, following up with a powerful slash towards his head. Aeros parried the attack with the sword in his right hand, grunting at the strength behind the blow. He kicked out with his foot, sweeping the draugr's legs out from under it. As it fell to the ground with a crash, Aeros plunged the sword in his left hand through its chest, pinning it to the ground.

He watched the light flicker and fade from the draugr's eyes before he looked up to find a greatsword descending towards his head. Throwing himself backwards with a yelp, Aeros landed on his backside, looking up at the draugr, who laughed evilly as it raised its sword again. Before it could bring it back down, a war axe hurtled through the air and sank into its chest. It shrieked in pain as it fell to its knees. Before it could rise again, Frea buried her remaining axe in the undead corpse's head. She turned and offered Aeros a hand.

"Thanks," he said gratefully as Frea hauled him to his feet.

"Anytime," she replied, grunting as she pulled her axe out of the draugr's chest. As she did, Aeros noticed for the first time the unusual material her axe was made from. To him, it looked almost like ice, but he dismissed that thought. Deciding he could ask Frea about her weapon later, he hurled himself back into the fray to help Serana.

After the battle, they discovered a locked iron door hidden behind the central sarcophagus. Searching the fallen draugr, Aeros found a key that opened the door, and they proceeded onwards.

They passed through several more rooms and hallways, filled with more dragon skeletons and some creepy looking statuary that none of them particularly liked the look of. In the last room, they hit an apparent dead end, until Serana found a pull chain and hidden door behind a large statue.

"We must be getting close," Aeros said aloud as they made their way down the narrow, twisting passageway.

He was right, as they found themselves emerging into a small, circular room with a single pedestal in the middle.

Resting on the pedestal was a black book.

Frea eyed the black book warily. "There are dark magics at work here. This book... It seems wrong somehow. Here, yet...not. It may be what we seek."

Aeros and Serana sheathed their weapons as they approached the pedestal, staring at the book curiously.

"This book, it feels familiar somehow," Aeros muttered to himself. "Like I've seen it before." He picked the book up off of the pedestal, running his hands along its surface. Embossed on its cover was what looked like a mass of tentacles, looking almost as if they could start moving at any moment. The book itself was surprisingly heavier than it looked, and a slight chill seemed to emanate from it. He glanced over at Frea.

"You're sure this is what we're looking for?" he asked. Frea shook her head.

"I do not know," she admitted. "But there must be a reason why this book was hidden so deep in the temple."

"Only one way to find out," Aeros said, starting to open the book.

"Aeros, wait!" Serana said suddenly, grabbing a hold of his hand. "This book, there's something warped about it, something that's not right."

"I agree," Frea said. "There is a foulness about this book, a sense of wrongness that makes my skin crawl."

"Don't worry, I'll be fine," he reassured them both. "It's just a book. Besides, it's our only clue as to what's manipulating the people of Solstheim."

Before either of them could stop him again, he opened the book. He was met with a series of incomprehensible words and symbols that marched across the page. He could only make out a few garbled sentences.

"_The eyes, once bleached by falling stars of utmost revelation, will forever see the faint insight drawn by the overwhelming question, as only the True Enquiry shapes the edge of thought._

_The rest is vulgar fiction, attempts to impose order on the consensus mantlings of an uncaring godhead."_

He frowned. "I can't understand more than a few sentences of this, but I feel like I've seen this kind of writing before."

He was going to say more, when suddenly, oily black tentacles shot out of the pages and wrapped themselves around him. He felt something yank him forward and the ground disappeared beneath his feet.

"Aeros!" Serana yelled, as she lunged forward in an attempt to rip the book out of his grasp. However, her hands met with nothing but air, and she fell forward, landing on the ground on the other side of Aeros.

She flipped around and looked back at Aeros, only to realize that she could see _through _him. He hadn't moved, but it was as if he were an apparition, not really there.

"Aeros, what have you gotten yourself into now?" she whispered to herself.

"What do we do now?" Frea asked anxiously; she had not anticipated something like this occurring, and she couldn't help but feel responsible.

"The only thing we _can _do," Serana replied dully. "We wait."

* * *

Aeros felt the ground reappear beneath his feet as he regained awareness. He looked around and realized immediately that he must be in some plane of Oblivion. The ground he stood on was covered in sheets of paper, surrounded by a sea of oily liquid. As he watched, a giant tentacle surfaced from the depths for a brief moment, before it sank back below the oily surface. Here and there, immense towers of books reached out of the dark waters, climbing towards a sky filled with a sickly green light.

It was at that point that Aeros realized there was somebody behind him.

"The time comes soon when… What!?" Whoever it was, it seemed that they had also become aware of Aeros's presence, as he felt a sudden overwhelming sense of power and killing intent.

Aeros whirled, hands flying to the swords on his back, but he was too slow. As he spun, he was caught in the chest by a bolt of lightning and was forced to his knees by the sheer power of the spell. Even with his armor enchanted to protect him from magic, Aeros felt incredibly weak. He forced himself to look up at his attacker.

The man was tall, at least as tall as Aeros, if not more, and wore a set of green robes, cut in a style unfamiliar to Aeros. He couldn't tell what the man's face looked like as it was obscured by a mask.

"Who are you to dare set foot here?" the man demanded, and even with the mask covering his face, Aeros could feel the other man glaring at him.

"Aeros," he spat out, returning the glare. "My name is Aeros."

"Ahh… And you are Dragonborn too," the man said thoughtfully. "I can feel it. And yet..."

Aeros didn't like something about the other man's voice, as if him being Dragonborn amused him.

"I gave you my name," he growled. "Now who the hell are you?"

The man chuckled as he spread his arms grandly. "Me? I am Miraak. And this is _my _domain you are intruding on, young Dovahkiin."

* * *

Characters:

Yrsa: A Nord living in Skaal Village, and the wife of Deor Woodcutter. She and Oslaf are both laboring on the Temple of Miraak when you first encounter them. They remain under Miraak's control until you complete the final quest of the DLC, after which they return to the village.

Oslaf: A Nord living in Skaal Village with his wife and daughter. You first find him working in the Temple of Miraak, along with fellow Skaal Yrsa. He is freed from Miraak's control after the completion of the final quest of the DLC.

Frea: A member of the Skaal, and the daughter of Storn Crag-Strider. You first encounter her in the Temple of Miraak, where she is trying desperately to free her friends. After that, she accompanies you through the Temple and afterwards leads you to her village.

Storn: The shaman of Skaal Village, Storn is busy maintaining the barrier protecting the remaining Skaal when you are first introduced to him. He directs you to Saering's Watch in pursuit of a way to free the enslaved people of Skyrim. Afterwards, he aids you in your quest to defeat Miraak, ultimately at the cost of his life.

Miraak: The primary antagonist of the Dragonborn DLC, he is the First Dragonborn, originally living on Solstheim during the Merethic Era. Miraak served as a priest in the Dragon Cult, before he turned on his masters, the dragons. He has since then been biding his time in Apocrypha, waiting for the moment when he can return to Solstheim.

Dragon Language:

Aav Dilon = Join the Dead


	38. At the Summit of Apocrypha 4

At the Summit of Apocrypha 4

"I am Miraak. And this is _my _domain you are intruding on, young Dovahkiin."

"An island and a bunch of books in the middle of a sea of acid?" Aeros asked sarcastically. "Yeah, sorry, not impressed."

"Such impertanance," Miraak said with a shake of his head. "It would seem I will need to make sure my Seekers give you a lesson in respect." He began to turn away.

"Why don't you do it yourself?" Aeros asked challengingly. Miraak stopped and looked back at him.

"You are not worth my time," he said dismissively.

Aeros felt a hot anger burning in his chest as Miraak began to walk away, pumping energy and strength back into his limbs. He gathered his legs beneath him, tensing, before exploding into action.

He surged to his feet, charging towards Miraak's back as he ripped a sword out of its sheath. "SU!" he barked, swinging his sword at Miraak's head.

Miraak had spun at the sound of the sound of Aeros drawing his blade, and as the sword sliced towards him in a blur, bolstered by Aeros's Shout, he reached out and somehow, miraculously, caught Aeros's hand by the wrist, stopping him cold.

Aeros strained against the other man's grip, but his arm didn't budge. A sound emanated from behind the mask, and it took Aeros a second to realize the other man was laughing.

"So this is the power that defeated Alduin," Miraak said in amusement. "Well done. I could have slain him myself, back when I walked the earth, but I chose a different path."

Aeros frowned as he processed what Miraak had just said. '_I could have slain him myself…' _he thought to himself. _Wait, don't tell me he's…!_

"But you have no idea of the true power a Dragonborn can wield! Allow me to demonstrate."

"MUL QAH DIIV!"

As he shouted, Miraak was enveloped in a glowing, ethereal set of draconic armor that looked like it was shaped out of fire. Faster than Aeros could react, Miraak twisted his grip, and snapped Aeros's wrist.

"Argh!" Aeros yelled in pain, as he felt the bones in his wrist break. Before he could recover, Miraak released his grip on Aeros's wrist, instead delivering a powerful punch directly to Aeros's gut.

Aeros felt all of the air whoosh out of his body, and heard a loud crack as Miraak's fist shattered several armor plates. He felt himself go flying through the air, before crashing into a pillar and falling to the ground

Aeros slowly climbed to his feet, his mind reeling at the fact that Miraak was actually Dragonborn, and an extremely powerful one at that. He had to struggle to breath, as the last blow had shattered several of his ribs. Still, he refused to give up so easily.

"I'm amazed that you can still stand after that," Miraak said, impressed. "Then again, you did go toe to toe with the World-Eater, so I suppose I shouldn't be all that surprised. But I have to say I'm disappointed if this is all there is to the power that defeated Alduin."

Aeros's grip on his sword tightened. He charged at Miraak, keeping his sword low to the ground. As he got within striking distance, his blade jumped up, slashing in a line from hip to shoulder. But Miraak merely leaned back, and the blade whistled harmlessly by. Aeros gritted his teeth, and thrust out his other hand, which had been hidden behind his back. A fireball shot from his hand and exploded, consuming Miraak in the blast. Aeros jumped back, waiting for the flames to die down so he could see if his spell had worked.

"Pathetic," Miraak's voice emanated from the flames. His fist abruptly shot out of the inferno, smashing into Aeros's nose. The cartilage snapped in a fountain of blood, and Aeros staggered backwards with a yell of pain. Clutching his broken nose, he looked up to see the spell dissipate, and Miraak emerge unharmed from the flames. Aeros felt his eyes go wide in disbelief.

_Shit_.

"FUS RO-!?" His Thu'um was cut short as Miraak's foot connected solidly with his stomach, the Shout doing little more than push Miraak back a few steps.

"Allow me," Miraak said calmly. He took a deep breath.

"FUS RO DAH!"

Aeros was sent hurtling back through the air, slamming again against a pillar. As he crashed against it, he felt several more bones break, and he fell to the ground, tasting blood.

He watched as Miraak slowly approached, and tried desperately to get back to his feet.

"Be careful, young Dovahkiin," Miraak said mockingly, as he watched Aeros struggle. "If you're not careful, you might get...hurt!" He delivered a solid kick to Aeros's chest, sending him sprawling.

As Aeros again tried to climb to his feet, refusing to give up, Miraak shook his head slowly from side to side, as if the sight saddened him. "Perhaps," he said pleasantly, "you ought to just...stay down!" And he brought his boot down onto Aeros leg, shattering it.

Aeros bellowed in pain. Miraak sneered down at him.

"This realm is beyond you. You have no power here, and it is only a matter of time before Solstheim is also mine. I already control the minds of its people. Soon they will finish building my temple, and I can return home."

He turned and walked away, leaving Aeros lying there on the ground. Aeros faintly heard the sound of wings, followed by a dragon's roar. The dragon landed at the opposite end of the island they were on, and as he watched Miraak climbed onto its back. Miraak turned towards a group of creatures that waited silently on either side of the dragon; through the dim haze of pain, Aeros realized that the creatures had been watching their fight the entire time.

"Send him back to where he came from," Miraak said to the creatures. "He can await my arrival with the rest of Tamriel."

With that, the dragon flapped its wings and took off, Miraak on its back. Four of the creatures floated slowly towards Aeros. They surrounded him and began blasting him with waves of energy. The spells ripped through his body with excruciating pain, and Aeros felt almost as if they were tearing his very being apart. Finally, he lost the battle against the pain, and slipped into darkness.

* * *

For the past half hour, Serana had been waiting for Aeros to return, alternating between waiting patiently, and pacing about the room. She was worried for Aeros, more because she couldn't help him than anything else.

Frea sat against a wall, watching Serana pace.

"Serana, I know you are worried for Aeros, but perhaps it would be better if you-"

"Don't!" Serana snapped. "Don't tell me to sit down and try to relax, not when the man I love is being held captive by some Daedric black book, and I'm forced to wait here and _hope _that he's alright."

She stopped and glanced at Frea. "I'm sorry," she said apologetically. "It's just that if I don't do something, I'm going to lose it."

Frea gazed at Serana steadily. "You really do love him, don't you." It wasn't a question.

Serana nodded. "I do, with all my heart. He's been there for me whenever I needed him the most, especially..." She was going to say more, but they were both distracted by a sudden change in Aeros. The tentacles holding him prisoner were loosening, and he was gradually becoming less transparent and more solid.

"Aeros," Serana said with a sigh of relief, "thank the gods that you're alr- Aeros!?"

As the tentacles finally released their hold on Aeros, both Frea and Serana realized that he wasn't coming back in the same condition as when he had left. He collapsed to the ground, unconscious.

Serana hurried to his side. "Oh gods… Frea, help me! In the pack, there should be some potions and bandages. Grab them!"

"Right!" Frea said, as she began frantically digging through the pack.

Bringing the supplies Serana had requested, Frea helped her pull off Aeros's armor. As they removed more of his armor, they discovered just how bad his injuries were.

His face was a mass of bruises, hidden only slightly by the blood. One of his eyes was swollen almost completely shut, and it looked as if his nose was broken. His wrist was also broken, as was part of his left arm. As they removed his chest armor and greaves, Serana sucked in her breath, and even Frea had to gasp.

Aeros's chest was covered in blood and bruises, with several deep lacerations, and from what they could tell, most of his ribs either cracked or broken. His right leg was bent at an unnatural angle, and they could actually see the bone showing.

Serana bit her lip. This was far worse than the normal injuries she had seen Aeros receive. The only time she had seen him hurt worse than this was after the battle with her father.

She shook her head, pushing back her worry and fear. Right now, she needed to focus on stopping the bleeding, then she could worry about the man she loved.

Together, Serana and Frea cleaned and bandaged the wounds. Serana managed to get a little bit of healing potion down Aeros's throat, pouring the rest on his wounds. Luckily for Aeros, it turned out that Frea knew a little restoration magic, and she focused all of her concentration on knitting his broken bones back together and stopping the internal bleeding.

After an hour, Frea finally had to stop. "I can't do any more," she gasped. Her forehead was covered in a sheen of sweat, and she was trembling from exhaustion. "My knowledge of healing magic isn't great enough to do more.

"I understand," Serana said kindly, putting a hand on the other woman's shoulder in thanks. "You've already done more than enough to help. Thank you." She handed Frea a potion, and Frea silently nodded her thanks, gulping down the potion.

At that point, Aeros finally stirred. He groaned as his eyes slowly opened. They looked around before focusing on Serana. "Serana?" he asked in a hoarse voice.

"Aeros!" Serana cried. "Thank the Divines, you're alive!" She pulled him into a tight embrace, being careful not to squeeze too tight, lest she reopened his wounds.

Aeros chuckled slightly and sat up, wincing at the pain that caused him. "I am. Though I feel like I went a few extra rounds with Tsun." Serana helped him move over to sit against a wall, and sat down next to him.

Frea waited, while Aeros drank several health potions and cast some restoration spells of his own. Finally, when he looked significantly better, she asked the question that both she and Serana wanted to know the answer to.

"What happened to you, Aeros? One moment you were here, and the next...you were not. Your body was still here, but Serana and I could see right through it, and try though we might, we could not remove that book from your grasp or even touch you."

Aeros frowned, and took a moment before replying. "I met Miraak," he answered.

Frea's and Serana's eyes widened at this revelation. "As in the Miraak who's supposed to be dead?" Serana questioned him. "That Miraak?"

Aeros nodded grimly. "Yes, that Miraak. Only he's very much alive, and looking to come back."

Frea frowned. "Then my father was right," she said darkly. "Miraak really has returned. He is the cause for my people's enslavement, isn't he?" Aeros nodded.

"Hold on," Serana interrupted. She still had a question she wanted answered. "Even if this Miraak is still alive, how did a dragon priest do all of this to you?"

"Because," Aeros coughed, "he's not just a dragon priest."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, he's Dragonborn," Aeros explained.

"What?!" both women yelled in shock.

Aero chuckled weakly at their reactions. "Yeah, I wasn't expecting it either. And he's a lot stronger than I am too."

"But you defeated Alduin!" Serana objected. "You've saved the world multiple times, and beat my father when you were half-dead. How could he be stronger than you?"

Aeros shook his head. "I don't know. All I do know is that he was able to mop the floor with me without even breaking a sweat. The only reason he didn't kill me is because he thought it was beneath him." He winced at the memory of how easily Miraak had beaten him.

"Wait," Frea interrupted. "You're the Dragonborn? The one who defeated the World-Eater?"

Aeros nodded. "Yeah, that's me."

Frea looked at him, awed, but quickly pushed it aside. "Then my father will want to speak with you. You can tell him about your encounter with Miraak, and what you saw in that book. Hopefully, he can help us learn what needs to be done next."

Aeros nodded, and with Serana's help, climbed to his feet. His body would need several more hours before it was fully healed, but he was able to move without too much pain at least.

"What should we do with the book?" Serana asked, pointing at where it had fallen after Aeros had returned. Aeros thought about it, before walking over and picking it up.

"For now, we keep it," he answered, putting it in his pack. "This is the only way we have right now of reaching Miraak, so until we have a better choice, I'll hold onto it."

None of them were particularly happy with that decision, but like Aeros said, they didn't have any other choice.

They made their way out of the temple a lot faster than it had taken them going in, courtesy of a secret passage that Frea had found while Aeros had been facing Miraak. They soon found themselves outside again, and Frea began leading the way to her village. As they walked, she directed their attention to a beam of green light emerging from behind a hill.

"You see that green light? That comes from the Wind Stone, where my people work against their will. They must be freed soon."

"Don't worry, Frea," Serana said comfortingly. "We'll find a way to rescue them soon, I promise."

Frea smiled. "Thank you, both of you. Come, the village is just up ahead."

Aeros looked towards where she pointed, and could make out a what looked almost like a small storm, circling in the sky above the few houses he could see.

"Frea, what is that?" he asked. That circle of dark clouds definitely didn't seem natural.

Frea glanced up at where he was pointing. "That is the barrier. My father and a few of the other elders used their magic to raise the barrier around the village, to protect the few of us left. It is good that the barrier is still there; when I had left, the elders' magic was growing weak."

They soon reached the village, passing through the barrier. Frea led them through the village, looking for her father, Storn. As they walked through the village, Aeros and Serana looked around at their surroundings.

"This place, it's not right," Serana whispered to Aeros. "There should be people walking around, children playing in the streets. This silence, it's eerie."

"You're right," he replied in an undertone. "The number of people here don't match the size of the village. And I'm not seeing any hunters or warriors. Even if they are a peaceful people, they still need someone to hunt and protect them."

"Has Miraak really taken control of that many of them?" Serana wondered.

"Just one more reason to stop him," Aeros said resolutely.

Their conversation was cut short as Frea led them towards a group of men and women kneeling on the ground in a circle. From the center of the circle flowed a stream of magicka, feeding the barrier above them. But Aeros could tell it was weakening.

"Father!" Frea cried. "I have returned! There is yet hope!"

One of the men in the circle stirred, looking in their direction. His eyes widened when he saw their group.

"Frea!" Storn said in relief. "What news do you bring? Have you discovered a way to free our people?"

Frea shook her head sadly. "No, but I have brought some people who may yet help us." She motioned to Aeros and Serana.

Aeros inclined his head respectfully to the elder and introduced himself and Serana. "Hello sir, my name is Aeros, and this is Serana." Serana nodded respectfully to the Skaal shaman.

"Father," Frea continued. "Aeros and Serana accompanied me in trying to find the cause behind whatever is controlling the Skaal. Aeros was able to confirm that it is indeed Miraak behind the suffering of our people.

Storn bowed his head. "I feared that it would be so," he said heavily.

"But how is that possible, father? How can Miraak possibly be alive, after all this time?"

Storn shook his head. "I fear there is much we do not know."

Frea turned to Aeros. "Please Aeros, tell my father what you saw."

Storn looked up at Aeros, and Aeros could see just how tired the old man was. Maintaining the barrier around the village for so long must have been incredibly taxing, both on his mind and his body.

"So you have seen proof of Miraak's return?" Storn asked him. Aeros nodded.

"More than that," he replied. "I've seen him in person, and fought him too."

Storn was alarmed by this. "You saw him yourself? How?"

Aeros pulled out the Black Book. "We found this hidden far below Miraak's temple. I opened this book and it took me...somewhere. I don't know where, just that it wasn't anywhere on Nirn. Wherever it was, Miraak was already there, and didn't appreciate the intrusion."

Storn frowned and rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "The legends speak of that place. Terrible battles fought at the temple. The dragons burning it to the ground in rage. They speak also of something worse than dragons buried within. Difficult to imagine, but the truth lies before me… It means what I feared has come to pass. Miraak was never truly gone, and now seeks to return."

He stopped, and looked at Aeros shrewdly, examining him more closely. "If you could go to this place and see him… Are you like Miraak? Are you Dragonborn?"

Aeros nodded. "Yes, I am."

Hope rekindled in the old man's eyes. "So the All-Maker has not truly abandoned us. But if you are Dragonborn, perhaps you are connected with him. The old tales say that he, too, was Dragonborn."

"What can you tell us about Miraak?" Serana asked, having listened to the conversation thus far without saying a word.

"Much of what was known has been lost to the ages. He was Dragonborn, and yet, he served the Dragons. A priest in their order, highly esteemed and very powerful. Then he turned against them, becoming something they feared. He was defeated long ago, but it seems he was never destroyed."

"Why would he turn against them?".

"That answer has been lost to the winds of time, unfortunately," Storn replied with a shake of his head. He stopped suddenly, as he remembered something. "Unless…" he said slowly. "There is an old legend that says that Miraak once obtained a great power at Saering's Watch, a word of power that even the dragons were afraid to use.

"Do you know what this word of power was?" Aeros asked.

Storn shook his head. "I do not. But I believe that this word that Miraak learned, it is connected to whatever is corrupting the Stones of Solstheim and controlling our people."

Frea turned to Aeros and Serana. "Aeros, you are Dragonborn, just like Miraak. Perhaps if you can learn this word of power, you can use it to free my people." She looked at him hopefully.

Aeros looked from Frea, to her father, who despite his exhaustion, was still trying so hard to protect his people. He then turned his gaze on the empty village, devoid of happiness and its people. Finally, he looked over at Serana, who was smiling at him confidently.

He turned back to Frea and her father. "I'll do it. How do I get to Saering's Watch?"

* * *

\- Saering's Watch -

"ZUN-"

"FUS RO DAH!"

Aeros's Thu'um ripped through the air, interrupting the deathlord's Shout and sending it flying off the side of the cliff. Aeros felt his swords jerk in his hands, but he kept a tight grip and managed to keep a hold of both weapons. Nearby, Serana stabbed her dagger through a draugr's eye, resurrecting it before it even hit the ground and having it attack its fellow undead. Not far away, Frea hacked her way through a group of draugr.

"Why do the dead in Skyrim never stay dead?" Aeros asked aloud as he cut another draugr in half. "Are they just that bored in the afterlife?"

"Who knows," Serana replied as she ducked a battleaxe, answering with multiple ice spikes to the draugr's chest. "Maybe it's just Nord stubbornness. Look at how many times _you've _refused to stay down."

Aeros pushed one of the last few draugr into another one, stabbing them both through the chest. "Hey, don't go comparing me to a bunch of rotting corpses!" he complained. "Besides, I'm not exactly normal."

"Don't I know it!" Serana sighed.

"And yet for some reason, you still want to marry me," Aeros said, shaking his head. He laughed when Serana stuck her tongue out at him.

They both realized that the fighting had been over for a while now, and they had been standing there bantering with each other for several minutes. They turned and found Frea giving them an odd look.

"Sorry, Frea," Serana said somewhat sheepishly. The good-natured ribbing and banter was just a part of how Aeros and her interacted with each other, but it sometimes threw other people off. Which is why both Aeros and Serana were surprised when Frea started laughing.

"I'm sorry, but is that normal in Skyrim?" she asked, laughing at their expressions. "The flirting and joking like that?"

Aeros chuckled good-naturedly. "For most people? Not in the slightest. It's a bad habit that we picked up somewhere."

"Somewhere?" Serana questioned with a smirk. "I know _exactly _where I picked it up from: a certain someone who frequently winds up in the most absurd situations imaginable. I was a proper lady before I met you."

Aeros snorted at that, but corrected himself. "Okay, a bad habit that _I_ picked up somewhere. Actually, our friends frequently have to tell us to stop and focus more on the fight."

Frea shook her head in amusement at their antics, and Aeros began heading towards where the Word Wall was located, but stopped, turning back around with a sly grin on his face. "Oh, and don't listen to anything she says about being a 'proper lady.' She's done things that no real lady should ever do." He waggled his eyebrows for effect.

"Aeros!" Serana exclaimed, flushing a deep red. She lunged forward and tried to swat him, but he ducked her arm and began hurrying up the stairs, laughing the whole way.

As he approached the Word Wall, Aeros could feel the power of the word pulsing from the black stone wall, pulling him towards it. But as he neared the wall, he heard an all too familiar sound. A roar echoed through the air, followed by the sound of wingbeats.

"What is that?" Frea asked fearfully. She had her answer soon enough, as a dragon appeared from behind the mountain, it's serpentine body an ominous silhouette against the sun. It spotted them, and tilted its body, diving towards them at a terrifying speed.

"Aeros!" Serana yelled. But Aeros didn't move, waiting patiently for the dragon's approach.

"You two might want to move out of the way," he said calmly, watching as the dragon drew closer.

"What are you-?" Serana started to ask, but stopped when she saw the look in his eyes. She grabbed Frea and pulled her off to the side.

"What are you doing?" Frea demanded. "We need to help Aeros!"

Serana attempted to calm the other woman. "Don't worry, Aeros knows what he's doing. We're probably in more danger than he is."

The dragon was almost right on top of Aeros now, and he could see the flickering flames forming inside its mouth. Before it could reach him though, Aeros finally acted.

"JOOR ZAH FRUL!" he shouted, his Shout hitting the dragon head on. The dragon screeched as it was hit by the full force of Dragonrend. It's wings lost the ability to hold its body up in the air, and its dive soon turned into a tumble through the air.

With an impact that shook the earth, the dragon crashed headlong into the ruins of Saering's Watch, reducing several of the stone arches and part of the wall to rubble.

Miraculously, the dragon was still alive, although hurt badly. It picked itself up off the ground, and turned its baleful gaze on Aeros.

"Hi fen dir ko vaarnufaaz, Dovahkiin," it growled. Aeros grinned savagely, and hefted his swords.

"Bring it on," he replied. The dragon roared, and Aeros let loose a war cry in response, as he sprinted towards the dragon.

As he charged, the dragon opened its mouth and a great tongue of flame shot towards him. Not breaking stride, Aeros deftly sidestepped out of the inferno's path. He ducked under the dragon's tail and when the dragon tried again to roast him alive, he swung upwards with one of his swords. The enchanted dragonbone easily cut through the dovah's scales and drew blood, and it reared back in pain. As it brought its head back down, it lunged forward, jaws wide, as it attempted to bite this impertinent mortal in half. Aeros didn't flinch though. He took a single step forward, and, putting all his weight behind it, plunged the sword in his left hand upwards into the root of the dragon's mouth, stabbing all the way to the hilt. The blade pierced the dragon's brain, and it let out a deafening roar as it thrashed about violently.

Aeros let go of his sword as the dragon shook about in its death throes, not wanting to risk getting his arm shredded or torn off by the multitude of razor sharp teeth. When the body at last stopped spasming, he grabbed ahold of his sword and pulled it free.

As the body began to burn away, Frea and Serana approached from where they had taken cover. Frea stared at Aeros wide-eyed.

"Never in my life have I ever seen something like that," she said in awe. "Now I see why you are called Dragonborn…"

Even Serana was impressed with his performance. She and Aeros had fought several dragons since their quest to find Auriel's Bow, and she was always struck by the difference between those times and when they had first fought those two dragons on the frozen lake. At the time, they had both been exhausted from all the traveling and fighting, and Aeros had been half dead from lack of blood. Compared to back then, Aeros fighting at full strength could be outright terrifying.

"You never cease to amaze, do you?" she asked with a smile. "That's got to be one of the craziest things I've seen you do in a while."

But Aeros wasn't listening to either of them. He was staring intently at the burning skeleton.

"Aeros?" Serana said, realizing he wasn't paying attention.

"I can't feel it," he muttered.

"What?"

"The dragon soul, I can't feel it," he said in consternation. "Every other time, I could feel myself absorbing the dragon's soul as its body burned away. So why can't I now?"

"It takes a strong will to command a Dragon's soul; perhaps you aren't as powerful as you think." a voice suggested from behind them.

Aeros whirled, leveling a blast of raw magicka at the direction of the voice. The spell passed harmlessly through the ethereal image of Miraak, hitting a stone arch and shattering it. Miraak watched the destruction caused by the spell with interest.

"You certainly do know a number of tricks, boy," he said with a ripple of amusement. "If I was actually here, that might have actually scratched me."

"Miraak," Aeros spat, struggling to resist the urge to chuck another spell at him, or better yet, a sword.

As he glared at the man, a whirlwind of light and energy swept past them from the body of the dragon, swirling around around Miraak briefly before being absorbed.

"Ah, it's been some time since I've felt this feeling, the surge of power and knowledge, the euphoria, that comes from taking a dragon's soul for your own."

"So you're Miraak," Serana said coldly. "I haven't had the chance to repay you for what you did to Aeros." Despite the malice in her voice, Miraak didn't even flinch.

Frea glared at the cause of all of her people's suffering. "You might have enslaved my people and corrupted the land, but it will not last. Whatever it is you're planning, monster, we will stop you."

"Strong words coming from those who even now are struggling to keep my power at bay. When I return in full, the Skaal shall kneel before me, as will the rest of Solstheim."

Aeros stepped forward. "No, they won't. Because I'll make sure that never happens."

He could practically see the smirk on Miraak's face, even through the mask. "Is that so?" he asked mockingly. "And how do you plan on doing that? The same way you let the Silver Hand attack Jorrvaskr and kill Kodlak? Or when you failed to protect Mirabelle and the Arch-Mage? Or is this another of your promises, like when you promised that you would kill Harkon yourself so that Serana did not have to?"

Aeros staggered back as if struck. He stared at Miraak wide-eyed. Miraak laughed at the look of pain in Aeros's eyes..

"Yes, that's right, I know all about your past, Aeros. You see, I've been learning all about you. And what I've learned is that you have failed time and time again in keeping your promises and protecting those close to you." He smiled cruelly. "How else do you explain your inability to save Eira?"

_Eira…?_ Serana wondered, recognising the name.

"Don't you dare say her name!" Aeros snarled, and both Frea and Serana flinched at the pure fury contained within his voice.

Miraak was unaffected by Aeros's anger, and merely chuckled, as he began to fade. "My time of return to Nirn draws near, and there is little you can do to stop it. Thank you for the meal, boy."

And with that, the ghostly image disappeared.

Serana glanced over at Aeros and tried not to recoil in fear from the look of rage stamped across his face. He was breathing heavily, and clenching his teeth so hard that she could hear them grinding together. His whole body shook, and his hands repeatedly clenched and unclenched. Serana half expected him to start breathing fire at any moment.

Aeros closed his eyes, and took several deep breaths. "I'm going to go take a look at the Word Wall," he said tightly, not even waiting for their jerky nods before ascending the steps.

Frea and Serana hung back, both of them hesitant to get too close to the enraged Dragonborn at the moment.

"So Miraak really has returned," Frea said at last. "That does not bode well for Solstheim, or the rest of Tamriel, if we can not stop him." Serana merely nodded.

Frea waited, hoping Serana would say something, but when all she received was silence, she couldn't take it. "...Serana?" she asked hesitantly.

"Yes?"

"Those people Miraak was talking about, Aeros's supposed failures…do you know what he was talking about?"

Serana hesitated, but finally sighed and nodded. "I do. Those people, and the events that Miraak mentioned, they…"

She stopped as she saw Aeros descending the steps. Frea tensed when she saw him, but the open anger he wore before was gone, replaced by an expressionless mask.

"Frea, can you take us to the Wind Stone?" he asked calmly. Despite the calmness of his voice, both Frea and Serana could sense that he was teetering on a razor's edge, the dragon's fury still lurking just beneath the surface, barely being kept from exploding outwards again. Frea nodded hurriedly, not wanting to risk that anger being redirected at her.

"Of course, follow me."

She led the way, setting a fast pace and keeping her distance from Aeros. Aeros followed her, and Serana trailed behind him. As they walked, Serana watched Aeros's back as he walked in front of her. She was worried. She had seen Aeros get mad before. But she had never seen him like that; a fury that could match the wrath of the gods themselves. But what worried her more, was what she had noticed that Frea had not.

Aeros was scared.

That fact alone, scared her more than anything. In all their time together, she had never once seen him truly scared, at least not like this. Always before, he had been worried about the safety of others, but never for himself. When they had faced her father, he had been more concerned with her well-being than his own, and even when they had faced his doppelganger he had been worried about the people of Skyrim and had been willing to do whatever it took to protect them.

It wasn't that he didn't get scared, she knew better than that. But he overcame his fear in order to protect others, and did not fear death. If Serana had to guess, she thought she knew what Aeros was so scared of. He wasn't scared of Miraak. He was scared that he wasn't strong enough, that he wouldn't be able to stop Miraak, and that people would suffer for it.

All of these thoughts whirled through her head over and over again as they trudged through the snow and ash towards the Wind Stone, and she continued to gaze at Aeros's back as he walked ahead of her, part of her hoping he would turn around and talk to her.

But Aeros never turned around. He continued to focus solely on the task at hand, refusing to allow even his own thoughts to distract him.

Soon, they could see the giant shape of the Wind Stone, outlined against the horizon. As they drew closer, they could see the missing Skaal villagers amongst the enthralled workers, as they slaved over Miraak's shrine. It was an identical scene to what Aeros and Serana had witnessed at the Earth Stone, including the eerie hymn to Miraak.

They stopped in front of the Stone. The Skaal and other residents of Solstheim ignored them, continuing to move about in a trance-like state.

Frea and Serana looked at Aeros expectantly.

"Let us see if this word of power can truly free my people."

"Do your thing, Aeros."

Aeros nodded and faced the Stone. This close, he could see the corrupting magic that swirled about it, the green glow giving it a sickly look.

_It doesn't just look sick,_ Aeros realized. _It is sick. Miraak's magic is hurting the entire island._

He shook his head. If Miraak was the one making the land sick, then he would be the one that would heal it.

"GOL!" he shouted.

He watched as his Thu'um enveloped the Wind Stone. The sickly green light began to fade from the Stone, and as it did, the entire structure around them began to shake. Cracks spread across every surface of the shrine that the enslaved villagers had built. Light shined from the cracks, glowing brighter and brighter. Then with a deafening bang, the entire structure exploded into dust and fragments of stone.

"That was it?" Aeros asked in surprise as the dust drifted through the air.

"Yes. I can feel the corruption around the Wind Stone lifting," Frea said with a smile.

"Aeros, look!" Serana said, pointing to direct their attention to the ensorceled villagers around them.

The moment the Wind Stone had been freed, all of the villagers had stopped. Now they were looking around in a daze, as if they had just woken up from a long sleep.

"Frea?" one of them asked, seeing her standing with Aeros and Serana.

"Fanari! Morwen!" Frea cried, running to embrace her friends. Slowly, the other villagers gathered around, asking her what was going on. Aeros and Serana watched as Frea and the villagers happily reunited.

Abruptly, the ground beneath the Stone shook, and they all stumbled.

"Frea! Get everyone back!" Aeros called, pulling his swords from their sheaths. He should have known Miraak wouldn't relinquish his hold on the Wind Stone so easily.

As Frea and Serana helped the villagers get away from the Stone, a large crack opened up in front of Aeros, tendrils erupting from it. Closing his eyes against the debris that was flung up, Aeros opened them just in time to see a giant taloned, webbed hand emerge, clawing at the side of the fissure. He soon found himself staring up at what was possibly the ugliest creature he had ever seen.

It looked like a mix between a Falmer and some kind of deep-sea fish. Gills stretched out on either side of its neck, and it had some kind of spiny frill running down the back of its head and neck. Both its hands and feet had long talons on them, and had webbing between each digit. To make matters worse, it was as tall as a giant.

"I don't even want to know what pit of Oblivion you crawled out of," he decided.

Hearing him, the creature fixed its malevolent gaze on him. It's neck swelled, and Aeros scrambled out of the way as it spewed black bile at him. It splashed against the ground, and almost immediately began to eat away at the stone.

Deciding he'd rather not get hit by that stuff, Aeros darted forward. The thing swung at him, but he was able to easily duck under the lumbering blow. It reached for him again, and he swung the sword in his right hand, removing several fingers. As it recoiled, Aeros slid behind it and sliced at the exposed flesh, severing the muscles in the back of both its legs and hamstringing it. The thing bellowed as it fell heavily to its knees. Using its back as a springboard, Aeros leaped into into the air, and with a yell, stabbed his sword through its neck, severing the spinal cord. The creature jerked once, and then collapsed to the ground. Removing his sword, Aeros clambered off of the dead monster. Making sure to wipe the acidic black blood off of the blades, he returned his swords to their sheaths.

Serana walked up to him to make sure he was okay. As she did, the villagers cheered at the sight of the dead monster, and crowded around them, all talking excitedly.

Aeros gave a small smile at the freed villagers' elation, but turned to Frea.

"Let's get these people back to your village," he said. "I don't want anything to happen to them on the way."

Frea nodded in agreement.

* * *

Storn watched as friends and families reunited with cries of joy and relief, smiling serenely. He turned to Aeros and Serana. Now that he no longer had to maintain the barrier around the village, Aeros thought Storn looked much more relaxed and at ease. The shaman bowed his head thankfully.

"The air feels clean once more, and we are safe. What's more, you have brought many of our people home. That means you have done it, haven't you? You have freed the Wind Stone from Miraak's corruption?"

Aeros nodded. "Yes, the Wind Stone has returned to normal."

Storn sighed in relief. "That is good to hear. You have proven yourselves to be friends of the Skaal, and we shall remember it always. But much of Solstheim still remains under Miraak's control, and a number of the Skaal toil still on his twisted creations."

Aeros frowned. "How many other Stones are there?" he asked.

"There are five other All-Maker Stones on Solstheim still under Miraak's influence, including the Tree Stone in his temple," Frea answered, standing next to her father. "If we can destroy the corruption surrounding them, balance should be restored to the land and Miraak's grip on Solstheim will be severely weakened."

"I doubt it will fully stop whatever Miraak is doing, but it may slow his progress," Storn added.

Aeros nodded. "For now, that's the best we can hope for." He looked at Frea and Serana. "I could use both of your help. It's time we freed the other Stones and and the rest of Solstheim from Miraak's grasp."

* * *

Author's Notes: I'm not dead! I want to apologize for such a long delay between chapters, I swear I never meant to wait that long. But I'm back now, and so is this story, so you can expect regular updates again. Especially, since I've got several ideas for future arcs and stories!

And so Aeros and the others set off to cleanse the remaining All-Maker Stones and free the rest of Solstheim!

Actually, as I was writing this, I discovered that originally, you were actually supposed to fight with Miraak outside of his temple before proceeding inside, but the fight never made it into the DLC. I contemplated writing that in, but decided instead to have Aeros and Miraak duke it out inside Apocrypha. Of course, Miraak kicked Aeros's ass, but still.

As for Miraak's comments at Saering's Watch, that was based off of the idea that ssj3 came up with for his story, The Legends of the Dovahkiin, which if you haven't checked it out yet, you should. His idea was to have Miraak take a more active role in taunting the Dragonborn as he journeyed through Solstheim, instead of merely stealing dragon souls, by using knowledge of the Dragonborn's past adventures in Skyrim that he gained in Apocrypha.

In Aeros's case, Miraak mocked him with some of his past failures and mistakes, such as being unable to save Kodlak. As you'll see, having those mistakes thrown in his face might have reawakened some painful memories for Aeros.

I'll also be skipping the quest Cleansing the Stones, although I will make some references to it in the next chapter. This is mainly because it's a fairly repetitive quest of slogging around Solstheim until you find a Stone, Shouting at it, and fighting the Lurker that emerges. It's interesting the first couple times, but even from a gameplay standpoint, and especially from a storytelling point of view, it gets old very fast.

Characters:

Tsun: The Nordic god of trials against adversity and the Shield-Thane of Shor, Tsun serves as the guardian of the Whalebone Bridge to the Hall of Valor. When you first enter Sovngarde, you must prove your valor to him in combat in order to enter the Hall.

Mirabelle Ervine: A Breton mage at the College of Winterhold, Mirabelle served as Master Wizard under Arch-Mage Savos Aren. She died protecting Winterhold and her fellow mages from Ancano's magic.

Savos Aren: A Dunmer conjurer and the the Arch-Mage of the College of WInterhold. He died in an explosion following an attempt to stop Ancano from abusing the Eye of Magnus. It is later revealed that he knew the location of the Staff of Magnus, due to an ill-advised expedition to Labyrinthian with five other College students in his youth, of which he was the only survivor.

Fanari Strong-Voice: The chief of Skaal Village. She and several other villagers are being controlled by Miraak and forced to work on the Wind Stone. She returns to the village after you break Miraak's spell.

Morwen: A Nord living in Skaal Village and the apprentice to the smith Baldor Iron-Shaper. You first find her mindlessly working on the Wind Stone. She is also the only known Skaal to have not grown up on Solstheim, her mother having married an outsider and moving with him to Falkreath. After her mother's death, she ultimately returned to Solstheim.

Dragon Language:

Su = Air (First word of the Elemental Fury Shout)

Mul Qah Diiv = Strength Armor Wyrm (Dragon Aspect Shout)

Fus Ro Dah = Force Balance Push (Unrelenting Force Shout)

Zun = Weapon (First word of the Disarm Shout)

Hi fen dir ko vaarnufaaz, Dovahkiin = You will die in agony, Dragonborn

Joor Zah Frul = Mortal Finite Temporary (Dragonrend Shout)

Gol = Earth (First word of the Bend Will Shout)


	39. At the Summit of Apocrypha 5

At the Summit of Apocrypha 5

Serana sat on one of the many benches of Skaal Village, holding a mug of mulled mead in her hands, enjoying how the heat emanating from the sides of the mug warmed her hands. She took a sip of the drink as she watched the celebrations going on in the center of the village.

After the freeing the Wind Stone from Miraak's control and escorting the villagers home, Aeros, Frea, and Serana had journeyed to each of the remaining All-Maker Stones, freeing them from Miraak's control and defeating the strange creatures serving as guardians, which Aeros had dubbed "lurkers."

It had taken them several days, but at last they had freed all of the All-Maker Stones except for the Tree Stone, which lay in the center of Miraak's temple. The three of them decided to assault the temple, actually making it all the way to the Stone. To their disbelief though, Aeros's Thu'um had been repulsed by the magic surrounding the Stone, and before they could try again they had been attacked by a large group of cultists and the enslaved people that were forced to work on the temple, who had suddenly turned hostile. As much as they had hated doing it, the three of them had been forced to give up on the Tree Stone and retreat.

Upon their return to the village, all three of them had been surprised to find that the villagers had prepared a celebration for their return. Despite their failure to free the Tree Stone, the Skaal rejoiced at the feeling of balance that had returned to the land, and wanted to show their thanks to the ones who had worked so hard to free them. The celebrations had lasted all day, and even now, there were still a fair number of villagers dancing and twirling around the giant bonfire that had been built in the center of the village.

As she sat there, quietly watching the joyous villagers, Frea joined her on the bench. She also watched her people for a while, before finally speaking.

"I never got the chance to thank you and Aeros," she said at last, turning to face Serana. "I had been ready to give up hope before the two of you showed up. You offered your help, even though you had no reason to, and have done so much for my people. You saved them, and have helped cleanse the corruption that has been afflicting the land. I owe the two of you more than I can ever hope to repay."

Serana blushed at Frea's praise. "It was nothing," she said humbly. "I'm glad we were able to help you and your people, Frea. Although…" she sighed, "I wish we could have freed the Tree Stone."

Frea nodded solemnly. "I wish that as well. Unfortunately, Miraak's influence is too strong at his temple, and even Aeros's Shout can not break through it while Miraak still lives."

It was only at this point that Frea noticed the absence of the man in question. "Speaking of which, where is Aeros? I'm surprised the two of you aren't together."

"Aeros needed some time on his own to deal with things," Serana explained. Not long after they had returned, Aeros had disappeared, and she hadn't seen him since.

"Some time on his own?" Frea repeated, not understanding. However, she quickly made the connection. "This is about what Miraak said, isn't it?"

Serana nodded slowly. "It is, yes. What Miraak said, it really got to Aeros, and he's been struggling to deal with it."

Frea was surprised by this. "I remember how he was immediately after," she recalled. "But he seemed fine afterwards; I assumed he had shaken it off."

Serana sighed heavily. "That's just who Aeros is," she explained. "He's more than willing to risk his life helping others, but he tries not to involve others in his own issues. He might have done a good job at hiding it, but Miraak's words have been eating away at him ever since Saering's Watch."

"But why?" Frea questioned. "Why would the events that Miraak mentioned have such an effect on Aeros?"

Serana stared at her mug for several long moments before answering.

"All of those things that Miraak mentioned," she said slowly, " they are all events or decisions that have haunted Aeros for years. All of them, something went wrong and someone close to him wound up dead or seriously hurt. Despite the fact that no one blames him, and that there was nothing he could have done, Aeros blames himself, and feels responsible for what happened."

As they sat there on the bench, Serana did her best to explain the events behind the things that Miraak had mentioned. How the Silver Hand had attacked Jorrvaskr while Aeros was away, killing Kodlak. How Aeros had tried to find a way to stop the mad Thalmor Ancano from using the Eye of Magnus, but was too late to save Mirabelle Ervine and the Arch-Mage, Savos Aren. And Aeros's and her own battle against her father.

Through it all, Frea listened in silence, not saying a word. When at last Serana had finished, she didn't say anything for a while.

"And Eira?" she asked at last. "Who was she? Out of everything that Miraak taunted Aeros with, he seemed to react the most to that name."

Serana shook her head. "I don't know."

"Really?" Frea asked, surprised. "The way you two act, it seems like you've known each other for a long time." Serana laughed lightly.

"Not quite. Aeros and I have only known each other for a little over a year, after he found me in that old tomb."

"A tomb?" Frea repeated, not quite sure if she had heard Serana right.

"It's a long story. But as for who Eira is, I think she might have been someone from Aeros's past.

"His past?"

Serana nodded. "Aeros has lived in Skyrim for a little more than three and a half years, and if you ask, he's more than willing to tell you about his adventures during that time, even the more painful tales. But his life before he came to Skyrim is the one thing he refuses to talk about. No one knows anything about his past, including myself and even his closest friends, who have known him practically since he arrived in Skyrim. It's something he's held close to his chest for all this time."

"And yet you still want to marry him, despite knowing nothing about his past?" Frea questioned, half in puzzlement, and half in admiration.

Serana smiled enigmatically. "I don't need to know everything about Aeros to love him. I love him because of who he is; someone who cares deeply for his friends and is always willing to help someone else."

* * *

Aeros stood at the edge of a cliff that looked out over the rest of Solstheim. From here, if he strained his ears, he could just make out the faint sounds of revelry coming from Skaal Village. As he stared up at the night sky unseeing, a cold wind swept over him, but he didn't even notice, his mind far away. Miraak's mocking words back at Saering's Watch had struck true, but more than that, they had awoken memories that he had buried deep within himself.

_The smell of blood as he climbed the steps to the Wind District. Torvar and Aela standing outside Jorrvaskr, surrounded by the bodies of the Silver Hand. Inside the hall, the scene of a battle, and muted cries of grief as everyone huddled around the body of Kodlak. Vilkas confronting him._

"_Where were you?" he demanded, and Aeros felt a surge of guilt as all he could do was tell Vilkas that he had been doing Kodlak's bidding. A weak, pitiable excuse, meaningless now because he hadn't been here, hadn't helped protect Kodlak._

Aeros shook his head, trying to dispel the memory and the accusatory look on Vilkas' s face. The memory faded, but was quickly replaced by another.

_A swirl of energy blocking their way into the Hall of Elements. Mirabelle and Savos trying to figure out a way in._

"_It's like a ward, but who's casting it? Ancano? How?"_

"_I don't care what it is, I want it down now! I want to know what he's doing in there!"_

_The three of them confronting Ancano, the Eye floating above them._

"_What's going on?" Mirabelle demanded. Savos edging closer to Ancano._

"_Ancano! Stop this at once! I command you!"_

"_Savos, no!" Mirabelle cried. "Don't go near him!"_

_A blinding flash of light as the Eye exploded. Outside, the rest of the College gathered around Arch-Mage Savos, his body pale and unmoving. Fighting through Labyrinthian to retrieve the Staff of Magnus, only to return and find out that he was too late. Mirabelle had sacrificed herself to protect the other mages and the town._

He grit his teeth, trying to wake up from this nightmare. The image shifted once more.

"_When the time comes, do you really think she'll be able to strike down her own father?"_

_Isran had asked him that, and so sure of himself, he had answered: "When the time comes, I'll make sure she never has to find that out."_

_Being gripped by the throat by Harkon, dangling helplessly above the floor, battered and broken, unable to continue fighting. A bright light exiting from Harkon's chest, a Sunhallowed Arrow piercing his heart. Both of them collapsing to the ground and turning to find the archer. Serana leaning weakly against the cathedral door, Auriel's Bow in her hands._

"_I told you. You won't touch him. Not ever again."_

"Damn it," he growled, clutching at his head. And then a memory buried deep within his consciousness floated to the surface. One that he had tried desperately to forget about, never wanting to have to relive that day.

"_Don't worry, I'll always protect you. That's my job."_

_Smoke rising above the treetops. Fire consuming his home, bodies lying everywhere. His father's final words. Taking his father's sword from his now lifeless hands. Following the bandits' trail and falling into their ambush. Struggling to break free from the bandits' grip, as the bandit leader slowly walked towards her._

"_Eira!" he yelled._

"_Aeros!"_

_Watching helplessly as the sword was stabbed through her stomach, protruding out the other side._

He felt the tears in his eyes, as Miraak's words echoed again and again through his mind.

"_You have failed time and time again in keeping your promises and protecting those close to you."_

"Damn it!" he shouted. All of his anger, grief, and guilt continued to build up in his chest, until the pressure was unbearable. He needed a way to release it, and all of his raw emotions followed the only path they could, exploding outwards in a Shout.

"FUS RO DAH!"

His Thu'um echoed through the air like a thunderclap, shaking the landscape until it faded away amongst the starry night sky.

"Feeling better?" a voice asked from behind him. He turned around and found Serana standing at the edge of the treeline.

"Serana…" he said in surprise, his voice hoarse. "What are you doing here?"

Serana gave him a gentle smile as she walked towards him. "You've been gone for hours. I figured I should check up on you, make sure you were all right."

Aeros gave her a strained smile. "I'm fine now," he lied. "It's just been a long day."

Serana wasn't convinced. She put her hands on her hips and stared at him. "Don't lie to me," she admonished. "You might be able to hide it from someone like Frea, but I've known you for far too long. I know how much Miraak's words hurt you."

Aeros started to deny it, but looking at her, standing there with an uncompromising expression on her face, he gave up on the idea.

"Sorry, you're right," he sighed. "It's just...Miraak throwing all of my past failures in my face like that, it caused all of the pain and guilt to come rushing back." He laughed bitterly. "All this time, I thought that I had overcome those feelings of guilt, but all it took was a few mocking words and I found out I haven't overcome a damned thing."

Serana frowned. "I'm worried, Aeros," she admitted. "Miraak was able to get inside your head so easily and cause you so much pain and grief. I'm worried that the next time we face him, he'll do it again, and that you'll make a mistake as a result."

Aeros pulled her closer, wrapping his arms around her in a hug. "Don't worry," he said soothingly, resting his chin on top of her head as he tried to reassure her. "I'm not going to let that happen again, now that I'm expecting it. Miraak caught me off guard once, but I won't make the same mistake twice."

Serana tried her best to believe him, but she couldn't quite eliminate the fear in her heart. Part of her wanted to just believe in Aeros, wanted to believe that nothing could defeat him. But another part of her still remembered vividly the state that Aeros had returned in after his encounter with Miraak. She squeezed him tighter as she remembered that, enough to make Aeros grunt.

They stood there for a long time, neither wanting to let go of the other. But eventually, Serana finally managed to ask what had been bothering her since their encounter with Miraak.

"Aeros?" she asked hesitantly. She wasn't even sure if he would answer her question, but she had to ask.

"What is it, Serana?"

She pulled herself out of his embrace, stepping back so she could see his face clearly.

"Who is Eira?"

She watched as Aeros's face tightened in pain, and he turned away, avoiding her gaze.

"I'm sorry," she quickly apologized. "It's just...this is the second time I've heard that name. The only other time I've ever heard it was in Bleak Falls Barrow, when the other you mentioned it. And back at Saering's Watch, you reacted the most when Miraak said that name. I don't think I've ever seen you that angry before."

All Serana could see of Aeros was the side of his face as he stared out over Solstheim. His jaw was clenched, but whether it was in anger or sorrow, she didn't know.

"Was Eira a friend of yours, or someone you were involved with before you came to Skyrim?" she asked, but her only response was continued silence. "Aeros, please, just let me in," she pleaded.

Still not looking at her, Aeros finally answered, his voice a mere whisper.

"She was my sister," he said quietly. There was a chord of sorrow in his voice, and it cracked slightly at the end.

Serana stared at him in shock. She knew that Aeros had to have had a family at some point, but he never talked about them, not to her or to anyone. The most he had ever said had been in the undercroft of her father's castle, when she had asked him if he had any family. His response back then had been a soft, "_Not anymore."_ Which is why she never would have thought that he had a sister!

"Your sister?" she said in astonishment. "You have a sister?"

"Had." Hearing that one word, Serana realized the implications of it. This was the reason why he never talked about his family. And something in his voice told her that whatever it was that had happened, it had been bad.

"What happened to her?" she asked quietly.

"She died, because I was too weak to save her."

"How-?" she started to asked to ask, but Aeros stopped her.

"Serana, please…" he said weakly, his eyes closed tightly. He opened them and turned to look at her. "You deserve more than anyone else to know about my past, and I promise you that I will tell you everything about my life before, about Eira and the rest of my family. But right now...I just can't. Give me time…"

Serana nodded understandingly. "Of course," she said gently. "Just know that I'll be here for you whenever you need me or are ready to open up."

Aeros smiled wanly. "Thank you."

Serana grabbed his hand. "Come on, we should be getting back to the village. Tomorrow morning, we can decide what to do next about the Tree Stone and how to put an end to Miraak."

Pulling him along behind her gently, Serana made her way along the path leading back to the warmth of Skaal Village. Hopefully, tomorrow they would have a better idea on what to do.

* * *

The next morning, Aeros and Serana met with Frea and Storn to discuss their next move. Aeros seemed to be back to his normal self, something which Serana was incredibly thankful for. The four of them gathered inside the Skaal shaman's home, and Aeros couldn't help but be reminded of some of the war councils he had attended during Skyrim's civil war.

Serana started the meeting off by speaking first. "So what's our next move in stopping Miraak?" she asked bluntly.

Frea frowned as she contemplated what they should do. "If we had a choice, I would say we should try another attempt at freeing the Tree Stone from Miraak's influence. If we could free the Stone, we would sever the last connection Miraak has to Solstheim."

"I'm not so sure that would work," Aeros said with a shake of his head. "By now Miraak has probably gathered every last one of his followers at the temple to defend the Stone, and probably forced the workers to protect it as well. That's a lot more than just the three of us can handle."

He looked to Frea and Storn. "Frea, if we were to try and stage another assault, how many of your people are capable fighters?"

Frea shrugged. "Not very many. The Skaal are a peaceful people, and we only have a handful of hunters or warriors."

"What about reinforcements from Skyrim?" Serana suggested. "If we could contact some of our friends, they would probably be willing to come help us. I know for sure that the Companions would be willing to fight."

Aeros shook his head. "That would take too long. It took us three days to get here from Windhelm, and that was with good weather and strong winds. Even if it was just the Companions, it would still take them at least a week or more to gather enough men and supplies, find a ship, and sail here. We can't afford to wait that long. We might have slowed Miraak, but I don't think it'll be for long. I have a feeling that by the time help arrived from Skyrim, it would be too late.

Frea had another suggestion. "There is another possibility," she said. "Solstheim is part of an archipelago, and several of the other islands are inhabited. Our village has ties with a few of them, including Granskog Island and several others. If we could send a message asking for their help, they might be willing to aid us."

Aeros frowned thoughtfully. "That sounds like a good idea," he agreed. "But even if the other islands did send help, and we managed to fight our way through to the Tree Stone, you saw what happened last time. All of Miraak's power is focused around the Tree Stone, and as I am right now, I'm not strong enough to break through."

Storn had been silent thus far, listening to them as they discussed various ideas. When Aeros mentioned not being strong enough, he finally spoke.

"In order to defeat Miraak, we must first understand the source of his power, and learn his secrets. And I believe they are related to this."

He gestured to the Black Book that lay on the table they were gathered around. Even now, the book gave off a sense of malevolence.

Aeros nodded. "I agree with you, Storn. The source of Miraak's power, and the reason he turned against the dragons, are most likely related to this book somehow. But I don't see how we can use it to learn how to beat Miraak."

"Perhaps not this Black Book, but another one might hold the secret to Miraak's defeat," the Skaal shaman replied cryptically.

Aeros looked at the older man, perplexed. "What do you mean?" he asked. "There are other Black Books?"

Storn nodded slowly. "There are. While the three of you were freeing the All-Maker Stones, I had the opportunity to examine this book you found beneath Miraak's Temple." Seeing their worried reactions, he reassured them. "Do not worry. I did not open the book, after hearing your descriptions of what happened. However, during my examination of this book, I couldn't help but notice a similarity between it and one that the dark elf wizard, Neloth Telvanni had on him when he came to our village, searching for more of them. It was a thing of dark magic, not of the All-Maker, much like the one you found. I did not remember it until then, but if he truly has another Black Book, perhaps he can help you find the knowledge you seek."

"Neloth?" Serana questioned. "Didn't we run into him at the Earth Stone when we first arrived?"

Aeros nodded. "That's right. If they're the same person, then he's an...interesting character. Hopefully, he'll be willing to help us though. Where does this Telvanni wizard live, Storn?"

"If I recall correctly, he makes his home to the southeast, in a giant mushroom."

"A giant...mushroom?" Serana repeated, not sure she had heard him right. Storn nodded.

"Yes. I believe it is called Tel Mithryn."

Aeros chuckled at the completely nonplussed look on Serana's face. He couldn't wait to try and explain Telvanni towers and some of the other more interesting aspects of Dunmer culture to her. That could wait until later though.

"Alright then. We'll head to Tel Mithryn and see if Neloth is willing to help us. In the meantime, Frea, how long would it take for the other islands to send help?"

Frea thought about it. "A day at most," she answered. "I will begin contacting the other islands as soon as I can."

Storn put a hand on her arm. "Fanari and I can do that, Frea. You should go with Aeros and Serana. Most likely, the path to discover the secret to defeating Miraak will not be easy, and they will need your help."

Frea hesitated momentarily, but nodded. "Very well then. I will gladly accompany the two of you to Tel Mithryn, if you would have me."

Serana smiled. "We'd be glad for your company, Frea."

* * *

Serana stared up at Tel Mithryn. True to Storn's word, it was a giant mushroom tower. Alongside the main tower, there were several other buildings formed from smaller bulbs. Aeros laughed at her reaction.

"Hard to take in?" he asked teasingly.

"Honestly, why am I even surprised?" she sighed. "Considering all of the weird stuff I've seen since I met you, you would think I'd be used to it by now."

"You would think so, but that would ruin all the fun," Aeros said with a grin. "Come on, let's go see if this wizard is any less crazy than most of the others I've met."

"That is...not reassuring," Frea muttered to Serana as they walked towards the door. Serana grimaced sympathetically as she murmured her agreement.

Entering the tower, Aeros was momentarily distracted upon discovering the magical lift, but he soon returned his focus to why they were there. Floating upwards to the landing, the three of them found the dark elf wizard bent over a table filled with tomes and research notes. He ignored them as they stood there. Finally, Aeros coughed loudly.

"Master Neloth?" he asked politely. The dark elf wizard finally looked up, disgruntled at being interrupted from his research.

"You again?" he asked, somewhat irritably. "Didn't we meet in Raven Rock?"

Aeros nodded. "Yes, we did. We spoke momentarily, and you gave us directions to Miraak's Temple."

"Ah yes, that's right," the wizard said as he recalled the conversation. "I was there studying the phenomenon regarding the Earth Stone when you and your female companion arrived. Although I don't recall you ever giving your names." His eyes narrowed in suspicion.

Aeros introduced them. "My name is Aeros, my 'female companion' here is Serana, and this is Frea of the Skaal."

"Yes, yes, pleasure to meet you and all those niceties," Neloth said dismissively. "Now, what are you doing in my tower?"

"We need your help finding a Black Book," Aeros said bluntly, getting straight to the point.

Neloth's looked at him with renewed interest. "Do you now?" he questioned. "Well, luckily for you, I recently discovered the location of one nearby. Unfortunately, I have been unable to attain it on my own." He stared at Aeros shrewdly. "I will make you a deal. I do not know why you want this Black Book, and I most likely would not care. But I will help you retrieve this one, so long as you allow me to make a copy of it."

Aeros considered the offer. After a few moments, he nodded. "Deal," he said. After all, Neloth had no reason to betray them for the book, not if he was going to get a copy of it anyways.

"I will just gather a few things first, and then we will be off," Neloth said, moving quickly around the tower.

A few minutes later, the four of the were on their way along the coast of Solstheim. The dark elf wizard was surprisingly spry, and led the way.

"Where are we going exactly?" Frea asked as they skirted around a bunch of rocks.

"A set of Dwemer ruins called Nchardak," Neloth replied.

"Dwemer?" Serana said in surprise. "What do they have to do with a Black Book?"

"Forbidden knowledge was somewhat of a specialty of the dwarves," Neloth explained impatiently. "It seems the ancient Dwemer discovered this book and took it to study. The book is in their 'reading room' in Nchardak, but it's sealed in a protective case that I have been unable to open. But perhaps together, we can open it."

They soon rounded a bend on the beach, and were able to see the ruins, which to their surprise, were sitting a hundred yards off the coast in the water.

Neloth was amused by their surprise. "Nchardak, the 'City of a Hundred Towers,'" he said. "In its day, it was the largest of the great Dwemer Archives, and perhaps the most advanced. Come, the book is sealed inside that dome. I'll need to unlock the doors; I locked them behind me the last time I was here in order to keep the riff-raff out."

An arrow buzzed by their heads to clatter against the stones. Following the direction of the shot, they could see a multitude of figure scrambling about the ruins, like a giant hornet's nest that had been kicked over.

"That kind of riff-raff?" Aeros asked, nodding at the commotion.

"Reavers," Neloth said in distaste. "I had to clear them out the last time I came here as well. Where do they come from?"

Aeros drew his swords. "Trust me, I've been asking myself that same question about bandits in Skyrim for years, and still haven't found an answer." He glanced towards the reavers, who did not appear even remotely friendly towards strangers. "From the looks of it, I doubt these reavers will want to leave voluntarily. Which just means we'll have to 'convince' them to leave." He let out a yell as he charged forward.

Serana shook her head ruefully, smiling in spite of herself at Aeros's antics. Frea glanced over at her.

"This is a regular occurrence, isn't it?" she asked. Serana laughed.

"More than you know," was all she said, before rushing in after him.

After they had cleared out the reavers, Neloth led them towards a giant set of brass doors. The doors were sealed shut, with a mysterious pedestal next to them.

"The Dwemer of Nchardak appear to have been fond of these control pedestals," Neloth explained. "Luckily, I found a cube to operate it on my last visit. Let me unlock it." From his voluminous sleeves, he procured a curious cube. When he placed it on the pedestal, it lit up with a blue glow and began to vibrate slightly. It wasn't long before they could hear gears turning and pistons moving, followed by the sound of a great many locks unlocking. As suddenly as it began, the noise stopped, and the doors swung open.

Neloth retrieved the cube and without even waiting for the rest of them, walked inside. Not having any other recourse, Aeros, Frea, and Serana followed him. Walking through the doors, they found themselves in a large circular room, the ceiling far above their heads. Neloth stood in the center of the room, seemingly staring down at the large brass ring set in the floor. It was only when they got closer that they realized that the center of the room was in fact made of glass, reinforced by the ring of metal. What Neloth was truly staring at, was what was behind that glass.

"You can see the book right there," Neloth said aloud as they joined him. "So tantalizingly close…"

On the other side of the glass, was a Black Book. Even with the glass separating them from it, it gave off, it gave off an ominous aura. If they hadn't needed it to stop Miraak, Aeros would have been more than happy to leave it where it was.

"What's stopping you?" Serana questioned. "Just break the glass and take the book."

Neloth laughed dryly. "Ha! Trust me, no magic will open that. I'd have had the book already if I could. But it seems that though their creators are long gone, the enchantments the dwarves laid on this glass remain. No, we'll have to do this the hard way. If we can restore the steam supply to this room, I'm certain I can open it. As you'll see, that's easier said than done. This way to the boilers."

He led them further into the ruins, following the twisted remains of an ancient corridor. At last, they emerged into a large chamber. Along the center of the room were several long, rectangular machines. Despite their age, the machines still worked, gears and switches moving ceaselessly. What purpose they actually served, Aeros wasn't sure. But Neloth led them past the machines, to where two more pedestals stood overlooking a large body of water. Waterfalls poured from the remains of several burst pipes overhead.

"In the old stories, when the Nords came to conquer Nchardak, it's said that the Dwemer submerged the entire city beneath the sea until the invaders gave up," said Neloth. "I have my doubts, but even so, the city was a marvel of Dwemer engineering. As you can see, most of the lower levels are flooded, but it isn't hopeless. The old Dwemer pumps still seem to work. Watch."

He set the cube on one of the pedestals like he had outside, and again the cube lit up and began to subtly shake. They could hear the sounds of the pumps begin to activate, and slowly the water levels began to recede. But not far enough.

Although it was still submerged, they could make out a secondary platform below the one they were standing on, with ramps connecting the two. On the platform stood four large metal constructs, with an empty pedestal standing in front of each of them.

"The pumps only operate when a cube is in the pedestal," Neloth explained. "And unfortunately, I only have one cube. These four boilers provide steam to the room upstairs. They're shut down, but they still respond to the control cubes. So, if we can find four more cubes, we should be able to lower the water levels enough to bring the boilers back on, and restore steam power back to the room upstairs. Then I should be able to open the book's protective case."

"So how are we supposed to find these cubes?"Aeros asked. "Do we just look aimlessly and hope we get lucky?" This place was massive, and if Neloth was to be believed, it had been one of the largest Dwemer cities to have ever been built. And while he was usually more than lucky at finding things by doing just that, he had a feeling that the Dunmer wizard had a plan. And he was right.

Neloth snorted. "Of course not. That would require far too much time and energy, and would get in the way of my research. No, follow me." He led them back over to the large control panels, and studied them, seemingly making sense out of the random arrangement of gears, switches, and levers.

"Yes...here we are," he murmured. "This device shows the location of four more cubes in this section of the city. It looks like most of the cubes were moved to the lower levels, perhaps to try to control the flooding before the city was abandoned. Interesting. That would suggest that the city must have originally sunk during the first cataclysm of Red Mountain. Or that the Dwemer's servitors continued to try to preserve the city after their creators' disappearance."

Aeros frowned. Hopefully, the water had destroyed what remained of the dwarven automatons. Of course, he had seen one walk out of a river of lava perfectly fine before, so it was doubtful that water, even as much as this, was going to harm them all that much.

Neloth pointed to a nearby set of doors. "Three of the cubes are through there," he said. "That seems like a sensible place to start. Come along, and bring that cube with you too."

Aeros grabbed the cube from the pedestal. As soon as he removed it, he heard a faint rumbling as the water level began to rise one more, stopping at its original level. Joining Neloth, Frea, and Serana by the door, Aeros unlocked it with the cube. The grate covering the door slid to one side, as the doors themselves swung open. As they entered the next room, Neloth immediately gravitated towards a nearby pedestal standing at the entrance of a hallway that sloped downwards. A control cube sat on top of the pedestal, quietly whirring away.

As they removed the cube, a series of fire spouts down the hallway shut off, opening the way forward. They pressed on, following the hallway and seeing where it led.

_Hopefully, the rest of the cubes are as easy to find_, Aeros thought to himself. _Although, knowing the Dwemer, I doubt it._

They emerged into another large, flooded room. A bridge extended outwards from the end of the hallway, running through the center of the room, just barely above the water level. As they crossed the bridge, Aeros looked down below them, and could just barely make out a multitude of strange machines and construction tables through the murky waters, some of which still had partially constructed automatons lying on them.

Neloth also appeared to notice the contraptions below. "These must be the 'Great Workshops of Nchardak,'" he said interestedly. "Impressive, even in ruins. In the city's days of glory, it was reputed to be able to assemble a complete automaton in a single day. Much of the Dwemer's army at the Battle of Red Mountain must have come from here."

"It is rather impressive," said Frea from behind Aeros. Serana nodded in agreement.

Reaching the end of the bridge, they found an empty pedestal. At Neloth's urging, Aeros placed one of the control cubes on it. As the cube lit up and began to shake slightly, the water in the room began to lower, until eventually there was little more than puddles left, and allowing them to freely roam the enormous workshop. Unfortunately, that also meant that the Animunculi could do the same.

As the first dwarven spider emerged from one of the ports built into the wall, Neloth blasted it to pieces with a thunderbolt. A trio of dwarven spheres sped towards them, but Aeros didn't miss a beat, stepping forward and shouting, "YOL TOOR SHUL!"

A wave of fire erupted from his mouth, engulfing the spheres. The intense heat melted their metal bodies, reducing two of them to nothing more than piles of slag, and horribly deforming the third. The surviving sphere attempted to attack them again despite the intensive damage it had sustained, but an ice spear from Serana ended that threat.

Several more spiders emerged, swarming towards them. Drawing their weapons, Aeros and Frea set to work, smashing and cutting the metal spiders until they stopped moving, while Neloth and Serana backed them up with magic.

The fight didn't last for much longer, and as the last automaton was destroyed, the four of them were able to investigate the now exposed workshop. Finding another pedestal, Aeros placed the remaining cube in it. It whirred for a few moments, before with a groan, panels of the stone wall in front of them began to slide outwards, transforming into a staircase. While the others waited at the bottom of the stairs, Aeros climbed them to retrieve the cube in the room at the top. As he removed the cube though, there was a loud rumble, and the floor of the workshop began to fill with water again. Frea, Neloth, and Serana hastily retreated to higher ground, on the other side of the workshop.

Finding that the space between them was now filled with water, and left with no other choice, Aeros sighed heavily before slipping into the murky water. Swimming across, Aeros pulled himself out of the water to join the others.

"It would appear that each cube we retrieve shuts down the corresponding pumps, and raising the water level," Neloth noted. "That is rather unfortunate."

"Which means that when I retrieve the cube we already found from the pedestal, this whole room is going to fill with water," Aeros guessed. "Let's make sure we have a way out before I do that."

Frea and Serana agreed, and they looked for a way out. They could of course just use the hallway they had already come from, but according to Neloth, there were still another cube in this section of the city, so they couldn't go back just yet. On the other side of a door on the top level of the workshop, they found a passageway that might work. Unfortunately, the stairs that previously connected the workshop to the adjoining rooms were destroyed.

"From the looks of it, the water levels might reach high enough that we could just swim to the top after I remove the control cube," Aeros said thoughtfully.

Serana and Frea both shuddered. "I'd rather not swim in that stuff," said Serana. Frea nodded in agreement.

"Nor would I," she said. "Perhaps there is another way past?"

Aeros thought about it for a minute. "Well, there might be another way. This platform is just low enough that I could probably boost you up there. Then, I can retrieve the cube and just swim up."

Frea and Serana both gave their consent to the plan, and Aeros stood against the wall, lifting both of them up high enough that they were able to grab the ledge and pull themselves over. He was prepared to offer to assist Neloth too, but the Telvanni wizard merely snorted before casting a spell. To Aeros's surprise, the wizard began floating several feet off the ground. With the grace of practice, he floated up to the platform where the other two were waiting, alighting back on the ground.

_Levitation magic_, Aeros thought in bemusement. He had heard that it used to be a fairly common spell, but it had been made illegal in the Empire at the end of the Third Era; as a result, the spell itself had been almost completely forgotten. He should have known that Neloth would know how to cast it though. _He's old enough to have known the Nerevarine, after all._

Still shaking his head, Aeros retrieved the cube. As soon as he did, he hurried back the way he came. As the water level continued to rise, he was forced to tread water, until finally it was high enough that he could reach the platform and reach his friends.

"Very good," said Neloth as Aeros pulled himself up onto the platform, water running off of him in rivulets. "There should be only one more cube remaining in this area."

"Let's go then," Aeros said, climbing to his feet.

The water, it seemed, had stopped rising. No longer having to worry about that, at least for now, they continued onwards, passing through a doorway into the next room. And immediately had to throw themselves to the side to avoid being speared by a pair of ballista bolts

Looking up towards the source of the shot, Aeros saw two Dwarven Ballistae sitting at the top of a landing, squarely facing them as they both loaded another bolt.

"Oh for the love of…" he muttered. "Why is it that every dwarven machine I run into is some kind of crazed murder-bot? Were the Dwemer really just that paranoid?"

Before the damned things could fire another shot, Aeros threw his hand out in front of him, unleashing a wave of cold. As the spell swept over the dwarven constructs, the freezing cold froze their joints, momentarily stopping them from moving. Before either of them could recover, they were hit by a barrage of spells, as Aeros, Neloth, and Serana all cast various destruction spells. The combined spells quickly tore them apart, reducing them to nothing more than scrap metal.

The threat gone, they followed the pathway, coming to a stop as they found the fourth cube. And the motionless Centurion standing behind it. Aeros glared at the immobile automaton suspiciously.

"This thing better not come alive and attack me as soon as I remove this cube," he muttered. Very carefully, keeping an eye on the Centurion the entire time, Aeros removed the cube. The Centurion did not move an inch.

However, as the cube was removed from the pedestal, there was a rumble as the pump it was controlling shut off, and the area began to fill with water. Making their way up a nearby ramp, the four of them paused at the landing from which the ballistae had been firing at them from. Using one of the cubes, they lowered a bridge, which led back to the hallway they had started in.

Heading back to the main chamber of Nchardak, Aeros used two of the control cubes to lower the water level enough to allow them to access the city's aqueduct, where Neloth said the last cube was.

They passed through the doorway, emerging in what appeared to be the central part of the aqueducts. It was a large room, and no doubt had been used to control the water pressure and level of the entire city. Unfortunately, it appeared that this area had suffered the same fate as the rest of the city, as the majority of the room was flooded, no doubt due in large part to the fairly large waterfall that was continuously raining down from a burst pipe overhead. In addition, their way forward was barred by three drawbridges that were currently raised.

"The last cube is somewhere in here," said Neloth as they surveyed the flooded room. "I hope it won't require more swimming around in this filth."

Frea laughed at the dark elf's disgruntled complaints. "You should leave slogging around in the muck to us youngsters," she said in amusement.

Hiding his smile, Aeros pointed to their right. "That looks like another of those pump activators up there," he said. "If we can activate that, the water should go down and we should hopefully be able to find the last cube. The problem is reaching it. Unless we want to go swimming in this 'filth,' we'll need to find a way to lower these bridges. And I'm not seeing any kind of lever."

"Have you tried checking behind you?" Serana suggested cryptically. Aeros looked at her questioningly, but she merely arched an eyebrow at him. Shrugging, Aeros did as she suggested, and turned to look behind him. There, above the entryway they had come from was a stone platform with a series of three control pedestals.

Aeros looked back at Serana. "You saw those right away, didn't you?" he asked. Serana, who was now smirking widely, nodded.

Resisting the urge to stick his tongue out at her, Aeros climbed the ramp leading up to the platform. Once he had reached the top, Aeros pulled out one of the control cubes as he examined the pedestals. From past experience, he knew that things like this normally had some sort of specific order or pattern to them. Unfortunately, there didn't seem to be any clues as to what that order might be.

Deciding to just try and hope for the best, he placed the cube on the left pedestal. As the cube activated, the first two bridges lowered, leaving only the third one. Hoping that the order of the pedestals had some connection to which bridges were lowered, Aeros tried the pedestal furthest on the right. To his surprise, his guess was correct, as the final bridge lowered itself.

"You did it!" Frea exclaimed.

"Very good," said Neloth impatiently. "Now don't touch anything else, and come on."

Following the impatient dark elf wizard across the bridges, they easily made it to the pump activator which, to their relief, still appeared to work. As Aeros placed the control cube on it, they once again heard a loud rumbling. The waterfall filling the center of the room slowly began to dwindle before finally stopping, as the rest of the water receded, until finally the floor was revealed, although you could barely see the original stone, so covered was it by layers of silt. And at the opposite end of the room, a doorway was revealed.

"I'm guessing that's where the last cube is," Aeros said. "Come on!"

Aeros, Frea, and Serana started to back down the steps, but Neloth didn't move. "I have an idea," he said suddenly, causing the three of them to stop and turn back to look at him. "I'll wait here and retrieve this cube once you find the last one we need."

Aeros nodded, although he suspected the old Dunmer was just tired of wading around in the muck. "Alright then," he said in agreement. "We'll go and grab the last cube, while you wait here, with that one."

"Good luck!" Neloth said loudly as the three of them resumed descending down the stairs.

"Finally," Frea muttered under her breath, just loudly enough for Aeros and Serana to still hear. "Now we will not have to listen to his complaining." Serana barely managed to stifle a giggle, and even Aeros had to grin at her comment.

They paused at the door, as Aeros unlocked it with the cube he still had. As the door opened though, Aeros stopped. He turned to his two female companions. "Actually, maybe the two of you should wait here, while I retrieve the last cube."

"What? Why?" Serana said in surprise.

Aeros shrugged. "Well, once I remove the cube from its pedestal, the pumps are going to start to shut off, and the water level will rise again," he explained. "If I had to guess, I'd say that it would go back to the level it was at before we activated the other pumps, which was high enough to cover this doorway. So unless either of you wants to go swimming…" He trailed off there, but it seemed that both women had understood his reasoning, and they agreed to wait there.

Leaving the two of them there, Aeros entered the hallway on the other side of the door. As he explored, he had to watch his footing, as even with most of the water gone, the stone floor was still slick with moisture. Carefully stepping over a pressure plate set in the ground, which was no doubt connected to the hinged horizontal bars on either side of the doorway, Aeros spotted what he was looking for at the other end of the room, in a small alcove. He made his way towards the cube, so focused on it that he nearly forgot to watch where he stepped. Luckily, his instincts kicked in, and he stopped himself just in time, his foot just about to step on another pressure plate, this one connected to a dart trap. Gingerly stepping over the pressure plate, Aeros picked up the cube.

As soon as the cube was removed from its pedestal, he could hear the sound of ancient pumps shutting off, and the sound of rushing water. Immediately, the water in the room began to rise. Hastily stowing the cube away, Aeros quickly made his way back towards the hallway, before the water level rose too high and filled the entire room. He still wasn't quite fast enough, and had to swim through the last half of the hallway.

The swim took longer than he would have liked, the heavy weight of his dragonplate armor slowing him down. Just when he thought he was going to run out of air, he resurfaced back in the main aqueduct chamber. He took a deep breath of fresh air in relief.

"Do you have the cube?" Neloth called from across the room. When Aeros pulled out the cube and showed it to him, he gave a pleased smile. "Good, good! Then I'll take this cube and we can be on our way."

Aeros only half heard him, as he swam towards Frea and Serana, who were waiting back by the entrance. It looked like they had taken retreated back there once the water level had begun to rise. They laughed at his bedraggled state.

"Gods, Aeros," Serana laughed. "You look like a drowned skeever."

Aeros grumbled at their amusement, and contemplated pushing Serana in as retaliation, but decided against it. He would get his revenge after this was all over.

Neloth meanwhile, had removed the final control cube, and the water once again began to rise, forcing Aeros, Frea, and Serana to retreat further and further up the entryway. Eventually, it stopped rising, and the three of them waited at the door for Neloth to appear. When he finally did, sputtering and gasping for breath, his robes weighing him down with all of the water they had absorbed, they all had to fight to keep from bursting out laughing. Neloth glared at them all indignantly, and cast a small spell that quickly dried out his robes.

"We should now have all five cubes," he said stiffly. "Now we can finally get those boilers started." He led the way back out to Nchardak's Great Chamber, the three of them following behind him.

They made their way back to the central platform, where Neloth gestured to the four metal constructs and their accompanying pedestals.

"These are the city's main boilers," he explained. "They operate the steam supply to most of the city, including the reading room. You'll need to activate all four to restore power. Once you do that, we should be able to open the book's protective case. Here," he said, reaching into his robes, "take the cube that I grabbed." He handed it to Aeros, who put it with the others. After that, the Telvanni wizard made his way up the ramp back to the original platform, where two of the control cubes were still humming away.

Aeros started to place the cubes on the pedestals connected to each boiler, but stopped. "Neloth," he called. "I only have three cubes. Can you remove one of the ones up there and toss it to me? The other cube should manage to keep the water level low enough."

He half expected the Dunmer to make some kind of complaint about having to perform such menial tasks, but to his surprise, the wizard simply removed the cube and tossed it down to him. Catching the cube, Aeros resumed his task, placing the cubes on the pedestals. As the last cube settled, there was a loud hissing, as all four boilers started, a small amount of steam rising out of the tops as the rest was funneled into a series of pipes.

"That seems to have done it," Neloth said in satisfaction. It took longer than I'd hoped, but at least it's finally done." He was about to say more, when there was a loud clanking sound, as gears long unused began to spin once more. A bridge on the other side of the room lowered suddenly, connecting to the boiler platform. And out stepped a Dwarven Centurion.

"Beware!" Frea said. "Another of those creatures!"

Aeros drew his swords, bending his knees slightly and lowering his center of mass, before exploding into action, choosing to go on the offensive rather than the defensive. He charged towards the hulking automaton with his swords held ready at his sides. As he drew close, the Centurion raised its hammer-clad arm, preparing to bring it crashing down on top of him. Before it could however, a series of ice spikes from Serana crashed against it, sending it staggering back. Forced to give up on its initial attack, the Centurion instead swung its other arm, shaped in the form of a giant axe, in a sweeping diagonal slash. Sidestepping slightly, Aeros used his swords to deflect the giant axe blade instead of trying to parry or block it directly. He pushed it just far enough to the side that it missed him by a few inches. He swung both of his swords as hard as he could at the metal monstrosity's legs, the enchanted dragonbone blades burying themselves deep in the metal joints. At the same time, a pair of war axes, one forged out of what almost appeared to be enchanted ice, crashed into the automaton's other leg, forcing it to its knees. Aeros looked over at Frea in appreciation, but before either of them could press their attack, the Centurion unleashed a blast of scalding hot steam, forcing both of them back. It slowly climbed back to its feet. It glared at the two of them, raising both of its weaponized arms overhead as it prepared to end the two warriors in front of it

Still reeling from the breath attack, both Frea and Aeros were slow to react. Fortunately, Serana and Neloth saved them, as twin bolts of lightning struck the automaton, sending it stumbling back a few steps, and giving Frea and Aeros enough time to dodge out of the way of the oncoming blows.

"Alright," Aeros muttered. "I think this has gone on long enough." As the Centurion prepared to strike once more, Aeros unleashed a Shout.

"IIZ SLEN NUS!" he shouted, the power of his Thu'um encasing the giant Animunculi's right arm in a heavy block of ice. It staggered, knocked off-balance by the unexpected weight. Before it could recover, Aeros shoved both blades as far as he could through a gap in its armor plating. He felt a slight resistance as his blades reached the dynamo core that powered the Centurion, before he felt it shatter into pieces. The Centurion jerked to a halt as its power source was destroyed, before falling backwards with a loud crash.

"Ah good, that's over then," said Neloth as the Centurion fell. "Now then, if there are no more interruptions, I'm going to head back upstairs and see if the reading room has steam. Hopefully, if everything went according to plan, it should be a simple matter to release the book."

"You go on ahead of us," Serana said, seeing that Aeros and Frea still needed a few moments to catch their breath.

"Very well," Neloth agreed, dismissing the strange atronach he had summoned, and making his way back towards the lift. Serana eyed Frea and Aeros, who were just now getting back to their feet.

"You okay?" she asked. Frea nodded that she was unharmed, while Aeros slowly sheathed his swords before responding.

"I'm fine," he said eventually, still a little short of breath. "A few minor burns from the steam, but nothing serious. Fights like that just leave me a little drained."

"Why don't you fight like how I saw you practicing in Castle Dour?" Serana asked, remembering the speed and grace with which he had moved. "Surely if you fought like that, even something like a Centurion wouldn't be much of an issue."

Aeros laughed. "Because it's not practical, fighting like that. Constantly moving with that kind of speed and precision, and shifting through the various forms, it's extremely tiring on the body. I could do it, but I probably wouldn't be able to keep fighting for half as long as I normally can, especially with the weight of my armor. Not to mention it's a bit too rigid for a normal fight. Besides," he shrugged, "half of the time, I just wind up improvising anyways."

"That...explains a lot," Frea muttered, and Serana had to nod in agreement as they both stared at Aeros in disbelief.

Ignoring their incredulous expressions, Aeros nodded in the direction Neloth had gone. "Alright, I think we've kept Neloth waiting long enough. Come on, let's head back to the reading room. Hopefully, restoring the steam was enough to unlock the book's seal. I just hope that this Black Book really can tell us what we need to know about the key to defeating Miraak."

The three of them made their way back towards the entrance and used the lift to return to the reading room. Neloth was already waiting for them, standing by a button that no doubt controlled the Black Book's casing. He looked up as the lift hissed to a stop

"Ah, you're here. Good, now we can finally release the book's seal, and get what we came for. This button here should control the mechanism for the seal. Now that the boilers are working again and power has been returned to this room, the mechanism should be operational."

Aeros nodded, and positioned himself in front of the pedestal. With only a slight hesitation, he pushed down on the button. There was a pause, before they noticed the sound of hidden gears turning. The room began to brighten, as overhead a circular metal seal retracted, revealing an opening to the sky that was slowly widening, letting more sunlight pour in. As the light illuminated the room, it fell upon four crystals suspended overhead. The light refracted upon hitting the crystals' reflective surfaces, splitting into a multitude of smaller rays, and bathing the walls in the full spectrum of colors. Aeros, Frea, and Serana gazed up, awestruck, while Neloth stared impatiently. Abruptly, the lightshow vanished, as the crystals almost seemed to absorb it, glowing brightly for a heartbeat, before the light passed through them once more, this time focused into four intense beams of light. The beams fell upon four similar crystals inlaid in the floor, and they heard a hiss of steam, as something was activated.

In the center of the room, the glass seal slowly parted, and the Black Book's pedestal rose up, coming to a stop when its base was level with the rest of the floor.

As soon as the Black Book was released, the entire room seemed to dim slightly, the light shining from above not seeming quite so bright anymore. There was an almost palpable feel of malevolence about it, and Aeros could almost swear he could see faint black fog emanating from the book.

"At last," Neloth said from next to him. "I hope it was worth it. Now please, be my guest. You deserve to have the first look. After all, this is what you came here for, isn't it?"

Aeros hesitated, not wanting anything to do with the Black Book lying on the pedestal, but reminded himself why they needed this book. Nodding to Neloth, he stepped forward and picked the book up from its resting place, the fog swirling about his hands. Like the one they had found in Miraak's temple, the book was heavier than it appeared, and there was a slight chill coming from it. The symbol embossed on its cover bothered him, although he couldn't say why. It was the same as the symbol on the first book, a mass of tentacles grasping at the space around them, focused around what could possibly be a singular eye, although the book was so old that it was hard to tell.

As Aeros prepared to open the book, Neloth spoke again. "Be sure to say hello to Hermaeus Mora for me, if you see him."

Aeros stopped, closing the book and setting it back down on its pedestal as he turned to face Neloth. "Hermaeus Mora?" he questioned. "I thought these Black Books were related to Miraak. What do they have to do with Hermaeus Mora?"

Neloth arched an eyebrow in surprise. "You didn't know? I thought it was obvious. Hermaeus Mora has always tried to seduce mortals into his service with the lure of forbidden knowledge. These Black Books are artifacts of his, filled with all sorts of secrets and lost or forbidden knowledge. The knowledge contained within has been known to drive many people insane. But for those who are able to read the books and maintain their grip on sanity, the knowledge contained within often awakens an insatiable desire to learn more, driving them further into Hermaeus Mora's grasp. A few souls have even been able to travel to his realm Apocrypha through the use of these Black Books. You should be very careful if you have to deal with him."

"Haven't you dealt with Hermaeus Mora before, Aeros?" Serana asked. Frea and Neloth looked at him in surprise and shock, surprise on Neloth's part, and shock on Frea's. Aeros shifted uncomfortably before answering.

"Yes, I have dealt with him before, although I wouldn't say I willingly sought him out. I've read his Oghma Infinium," he admitted. That encounter was still engraved in his mind. After seeking out Septimus Signus for his help in retrieving an Elder Scroll, he had agreed to help him unlock the giant dwarven lockbox, despite learning that he was a servant of Hermaeus Mora. In the end, they succeeded in opening it, and for his service, Septimus was reduced to a pile of ash when he tried to read the book of flesh that had been sealed inside. If Miraak was somehow tied to Hermaeus Mora, then Aeros would have to be even more careful in trying to find the key to defeating him.

"Have you? The actual Oghma Infinium?" Neloth asked, impressed. "I've searched for it myself for many years without success…" He cleared his throat. "Well then, you should know to be careful when dealing with Hermaeus Mora, and of how devious he is. He will try to ensnare you, draw you in with promises of forbidden knowledge and secrets."

Frea spoke up. "He is right," she said. "The legends of my people are filled with stories of Herma-Mora trying to trick us, or trying to steal our secrets. He is not to be trusted."

"Then maybe we shouldn't have Aeros read this Black Book," Serana suggested, worried. She didn't like the idea of Aeros entering a Daedric Prince's realm, but what worried her more was that if Aeros wound up in a similar situation to last time, and encountered Miraak, she was not so certain he would let Aeros live this time. "Perhaps there's another way to learn how to stop Miraak."

Aeros shook his head. "No," he said. "We're running out of time, and right now this book is our best chance of stopping Miraak." He understood her concern, but right now they didn't have any other choice.

"But…" Serana started to say, but stopped herself. Aeros smiled at her.

"Don't worry, Serana," he said reassuringly. "I'll be fine. I promise I'll come back, Hermaeus Mora be damned."

Serana hesitated, biting her lip in worry, but finally nodded. Giving her one last comforting smile, Aeros turned back to the Black Book. Lifting it up once more, he opened it to the first page. Like the last time, most of the page was covered in strange symbols and words in a language that he couldn't understand. He was able to make out a few garbled sentences though.

"_Bring you forth the lovestruck mute who preys with vigor on his love, and set the sky alight with all who dare struggle 'gainst our move. For we are they who own the night and all who dwell without us fall; we drink the mind-grapes formed of thought and wail a tumult on the wall. To sweep…"_

That was all he was able to read, before tentacles emerged from the book, wrapping around him as he once again felt a tug behind his navel, pitching him forward towards the pages of the book. The ground beneath him fell away and his vision darkened.

When his sight had returned, he once again found himself in a place that was not Nirn. Stacks of books stood all around him, forming towering walls that reached towards the sickly colored sky while the waves of this realm's ocean lapped at their base, the oily liquid a twisted reflection of the water of Nirn. This time though, he knew where he was. This was the realm of the Demon of Knowledge, Hermaeus Mora. This was Apocrypha.

* * *

Author's Notes: A belated merry Saturalia to you all, I hope you had a good time during the holidays!

With that out of the way, here is the fifth chapter of At the Summit of Apocrypha, I hope you all enjoy it. I will admit that I had to remind myself to stop it here, as part of me wanted to keep going. But it gives me good starting point for the next chapter, as Aeros seeks out the key to defeating Miraak within the realm of the Demon of Knowledge, and the final battle against Miraak begins.

As always, point out any mistakes I might have made and favorite the story if you like it, but especially feel free to leave a review or shoot me a message with any ideas or suggestions you have. Constructive criticism is always welcome, as it helps me to improve my writing, and I always enjoy hearing new suggestions.

So keep an eye out for the sixth chapter of At the Summit of Apocrypha, and have a happy New Year!

Characters:

Septimus Signus: An elderly scholar, Septimus was a former member of the College of Winterhold, and the resident expert on Elder Scrolls. After reading one of the Elder Scrolls, his mind fractured, and he was driven completely, irrecoverably insane. He eventually left the College and traveled to the far northern ice sheets where, led by Hermaeus Mora, he uncovered a Dwemer lockbox that he believed contained the Heart of Lorkhan. During the events of Skyrim, you seek him out in order to help locate the Elder Scroll necessary to defeating Alduin. He agrees to help you, in return for you aiding him in opening the lockbox. Upon opening it, you discover that it is not the Heart of Lorkhan inside, but the Oghma Infinium, and when he attempts to read it, Septimus is disintegrated by his master, Hermaeus Mora, to whom he had outlived his usefulness.

Dragon Language:

Fus Ro Dah = Force Balance Push (Unrelenting Force Shout)

Yol Toor Shul = Fire Inferno Sun (Fire Breath Shout)

Iiz Slen Nus = Ice Flesh Statue (Ice Form Shout)


	40. At the Summit of Apocrypha 6

At the Summit of Apocrypha 6

\- Apocrypha -

Aeros cautiously made his way through the twisting hallways of Apocrypha, wary of any possible enemies. He was in the realm of a Daedric Prince after all, and the place was sure to be filled with all kinds of hazards. As he stepped around a corner, he had to roll out of the way to avoid a wave of energy from one of the creatures that had sent him back to Tamriel after his first encounter with Miraak. The first time, blinded by pain, he hadn't been able to get a good look at them. Now though, he was able to see it more clearly, although he almost wished he hadn't.

Its skin was a greenish tinge, and its head was a mass of tentacles, almost resembling a squid. While it did have eyes, they were inhuman, alien eyes, pure gold orbs without any pupils staring at him through mere slits. It wore a tattered cloak around its neck that looked more like a bunch of rags than an actual cloak. From its torso sprouted three pairs of arms, the skin drawn tight over the flesh, and ending in sharp claws, while in the center of its chest was what could only be described as a maw. It was a mouth of sorts, though it barely deserved the name, a hole in the middle of its chest lined by a multiple rings of teeth. Finally, its body ended in more tentacles, the tips almost touching the ground as the creature floated.

It was obviously some kind of Daedra, likely a servant of some kind of Hermaeus Mora's, but he had no idea what it was called. What he did know, however, was that this Daedra was blocking his way, and was unlikely to allow him to pass unmolested.

Aeros drew his swords, cautiously keeping an eye on the creature. He remembered well how painful the spells the things cast were, and he had no desire to repeat that experience. Even as he thought that, the creature lifted one of its hands, a ball of sickly green fire forming in its palm. As he charged forward, it chucked the spell at him. He ducked underneath the firebolt, feeling it pass just over his head. He closed the distance between the two of them before the Daedra could prepare another spell. Swinging the sword in his left hand, he left a gash on the creature's flank, although it was not a deep cut. Hissing, the creature swung one of its clawed hands at him, seeking to rake its talons across the exposed part of his face. Aeros intercepted the attack with one of his own, slashing with the sword in his right hand. The sword's keen edge easily sliced through the creature's flesh, severing its hand in a spray of green blood. Shrieking in pain, the Daedra retreated, clutching at its wounded appendage as it glared at Aeros in hatred.

Pressing the attack, Aeros followed the creature as it retreated, swinging his swords once again. This time however, he called upon the power of the dragons within him, opening his mouth and unleashing his Thu'um.

"SU GRAH DUN!" he shouted, and his body, bolstered by the power of his Shout, became a blur. His swords moved faster than his opponent could react, the blades' enchantments leaving faint trails through the air, as they slashed across the creature's body again and again. Finally, he delivered the killing blow, slashing both blades across the creature's neck. The creature gave a strangled shriek as it fell back...and abruptly disappeared into thin air, leaving behind nothing more than a pile of rags.

Aeros frowned, returning his swords to their sheaths on his back as he examined the pile of rags. He was certain he had killed the creature, but he couldn't quite be sure, not after it pulled a disappearing act like that. Unfortunately, even if he had killed it, he knew it was only a matter of time before it returned, reborn from the chaotic tides of Oblivion, like all Daedra. Hopefully, he would be long gone by then. He really didn't want to have to deal with a murderous Daedra with a grudge.

He straightened with a sigh. He had hoped that Hermaeus Mora might have sensed his presence in Apocrypha, or his reading of the Black Book and stopped his minions from attacking him. But it seemed that either the master of this realm either wasn't aware he was here, or didn't care. Or that perhaps that he wasn't the one in control of these creatures; Miraak was.

He continued on his way through the twisting rooms and passageways, all of them filled with stacks of books, some of which reached into the sky, twisting and turning in impossible ways that defied gravity. He had to fight several more of the strange Daedra, as well as a few of the "Lurkers" that he, Serana, and Frea had fought while freeing the Stones of Solstheim. However, he noted that not all of the Daedra were hostile to him. Some simply ignored him, while others watched him curiously as he passed. At one point, he even encountered two of the mysterious Daedra attacking a third, both sides chucking all sorts of spells and magic at each other. Aeros stopped in shock, watching as this bizarre scene unfolded. It only lasted for a few minutes, before the one being attacked let loose a piercing wail before vanishing, leaving behind a pile of rags.

As Aeros attempted to puzzle out the meaning behind what he had just witnessed, the remaining two Daedra turned towards his direction. He tensed, one hand reflexively going to the hilt of his sword, but they merely stared at him for a few seconds, whatever thoughts they had unfathomable to him, before they faded away. He cautiously lowered his hand.

"What was that all about?" he wondered aloud. After checking to make sure that the creatures were not hiding somewhere nearby, waiting to ambush him, Aeros pressed on.

He made his way further into the realm of Apocrypha, searching for whatever might hold the key to defeating Miraak. But while he found countless books and tomes, including several extremely rare ones and a few that were thought lost, none of them held what he was looking for. He was just beginning to think this was a fruitless endeavor when he emerged into an open courtyard, built in the midst of the towering stacks of books. Surprisingly, there were no Daedra here, which allowed him a chance to take a small breather. As he rested, he lifted his gaze up towards the sky above him. He had to admit, looking at it made him uneasy. He was used to the vivid blue skies of Nirn, and seeing the sickly green color of this realm's sky pulse and shift was unsettling. As he stared at it, he noticed something out of the corner of his eye. Turning his head, he saw that not too far off was a mass of tentacles emerging out of a portal that hung suspended in the air. He felt a shiver go down his spine. He recognized that wretched abyss. It had appeared to him twice before, once when he was helping Septimus, and shortly after the man's untimely death. It was a manifestation of Hermaeus Mora.

Realizing now where he had to go if he wanted answers, Aeros climbed to his feet, and pushed on, deeper into Apocrypha.

* * *

\- Nchardak -

"How long do you think it will take Aeros to find what we need?" Frea asked.

The three of them were currently sitting down in various spots around the room. Frea was sitting cross-legged near the control pedestal, while Neloth had found the a small pile of rubble and was using it as a chair, as he read a book he had procured from a deep pocket in his robes. Serana, meanwhile, was leaning against a wall not too far from the Black Book's pedestal, her eyes never leaving the transparent form of Aeros. At Frea's question, she turned towards the Skaal woman and shrugged.

"I'm not sure," she admitted. "It would be a lot easier and faster if we knew what we were looking for. As it is, Aeros will probably just have to search everything he can."

"Then you will be waiting here for him a very long time," Neloth said, looking up from his book. "Hermaeus Mora's realm, Apocrypha, is massive, a library of all the knowledge and secrets he has gathered over millennia. If your friend is just searching blindly, it would take him years to find what you're looking for. Unless, of course, he sought out Hermaeus Mora himself."

Frea shuddered. "I hope he will not be forced to resort to that. It is better not to consort with that demon."

Neloth nodded. "Yes, it is always dangerous dealing with the Princes, especially one as cunning as Hermaeus Mora. Then again, your friend did say that he has dealt with Hermaeus Mora in the past, and even read his Oghma Infinium, so it's unlikely Mora will outright kill him."

"Is Hermaeus Mora really that dangerous?" Serana asked. "I mean, he's the Daedric Prince of Knowledge and Fate. How bad can that be?"

"Regardless of his sphere of influence, Hermaeus Mora is still a Daedric Prince," Neloth cautioned. "He has been known to kill hapless mortals who cross him or suck their minds dry. Just because he is more patient and methodical than his siblings does not make him any less dangerous; in fact, it makes him more so." He paused and stared hard at Serana. "You should know better than most, girl, that a Daedric Prince is not one to be trifled with," he said knowingly.

"What does he mean by that?" Frea asked, realizing that there was a deeper meaning to Neloth's words. When Serana didn't answer, Neloth laughed.

"Don't tell me that you didn't notice, Skaal girl?" he asked in amusement. "I'm talking about the fact that she is a pureblooded vampire, a Daughter of Coldharbour." Serana head snapped around and she glared at Neloth for so carelessly revealing her secret.

Frea stared at Serana in shock. "Is what he says the truth?" she asked.

Serana sighed. She should have known that the old Dunmer wizard would have figured it out. Despite his age and eccentricity, he was incredibly observant. She turned towards Frea and answered her question. "Yes, it is," she admitted. "I'm sorry that Aeros and I didn't tell you." She waited for Frea to respond, expecting her to react with fear and hatred.

Instead, however, Frea simply looked at her thoughtfully before replying. "I admit, learning that you are a vampire is a shock, and certainly caught me off guard," she said. "But I can understand why you and Aeros would not want that to be commonplace knowledge." Serana looked at Frea in shock. Her response was not at all what she had expected. Frea laughed lightly at the look of surprise on Serana's face.

"Perhaps if it had been when we had first met, I would have reacted less favorably," she explained. "But after traveling with you and Aeros, I know that you are not anything like a typical vampire. You seem more...human. You do not feed on other people, and actually show compassion for others, like when you and Aeros agreed to help save my people. Plus," she added with a smile, "I have seen how close you and Aeros are. No bloodthirsty vampire and their thrall could possibly act like that."

Serana laughed and smiled thankfully at the other woman, and Frea returned the smile.

Neloth cleared his throat. "If the two of you are done talking, I don't suppose you'd allow me a sample of your blood, or perhaps to perform a few experiments?" he asked. "So few mortals survive the ceremony, meeting an actual Daughter of Coldharbour is an extremely rare opportunity; I have not heard of one in several centuries."

Serana glared coldly at the Telvanni wizard. "Neloth," she said calmly, "if you try to perform any experiments or take even a drop of my blood, I will show just how strong we pureblooded vampires are."

Neloth's mouth snapped shut, and he hurriedly returned to his book. Serana gave Frea a crooked smile, and Frea had to struggle not to laugh.

"It would seem that we may have to wait awhile," Frea said. "Perhaps we can tell stories to pass the time? I am sure you and Aeros have quite a few tales of past adventures."

Serana gave it a moment of thought before agreeing. "Why not?" she said with a shrug. "It'll be a nice distraction to help keep our minds off of Miraak. Besides, I would love to hear some of your stories and legends of the Skaal."

* * *

\- Apocrypha -

Aeros reached the far end of the room and found yet another ancient Black Book. He had come across several of these so far, and had discovered that they were used to transport the reader to different parts of the realm. Slowly but surely, he was growing closer to the portal where, hopefully, he might find the answers he was looking for. As he went to open the book, he heard the sound of footsteps running towards him. He stopped and turned around, but there was no one there. He frowned. The same thing had already happened several times before, where he had heard the sound of someone walking or running towards him, but every time he turned around, there was no one there. And every time, the footsteps stopped when they reached him. He once thought he even heard someone muttering, but again there was not a soul to be found. He wasn't sure if it was the spirits of previous visitors, those who had come to Apocrypha seeking forbidden knowledge, or if it was simply his imagination. Either way, he could not wait to leave this place, as soon as he had found what he was looking for.

Pushing those thoughts out of his head, Aeros turned back towards the book and opened it. Just like the previous tomes he had opened, he felt the world shift around him as everything fell into darkness. When he could see again, he was in a different place than he had been before. And almost directly over him was the portal, Hermaeus Mora's grasping tentacles reaching out of the abyss.

Activating the unusual pod next to him, which had a long stem with a bright glowing orb at the end, Aeros watched as the odd structure across from him slowly unfolded itself, the two halfs twisting and then separating, revealing a platformed space in between them, while a bridge silently uncurled, stretching across the gap and connecting with the platform Aeros stood on.

Aeros slowly made his way across, wary of any traps or hidden dangers. As he drew closer to the platform though, the air around him began to fill with a steady, rhythmic thudding that only grew louder the closer he got. At last, he stepped foot on the platform, the oddly familiar sound filling his ears. And in front of him was the source. Standing on a thick pedestal was a Black Book, at least twice the size of the one that had brought him here. And on its cover, the symbol of Hermaeus Mora was pulsing, making a faint thud every time it did. _It sounds like a heartbeat_, Aeros realized with a feeling of revulsion. The idea that this book was in some way alive, or at least connected to its master, made Aeros want nothing to do with it. But he needed answers.

Steeling himself, Aeros opened the book. Immediately, the ancient tome unleashed a giant pulse of energy, forcing Aeros back a few steps. As he stumbled back, the Black Book slowly rose into the air, floating several inches off of its pedestal. Pages, covered in all kinds of indiscernible runes and symbols that flowed across the pages like water, began rapidly turning themselves, as if an invisible being or force was flipping through the contents of the book, searching for something specific. And it seemed that it found what it was looking for too, as the book came to a rest on two pages that lay in its very center.

As Aeros tried to decipher the eldritch runes, he felt a sudden presence, one that both made his skin crawl and yet was familiar. He lifted his head to find that the air all around him was distorted, as if something was trying to force its way through. His guess was right, as a moment later, the space in front of him was torn open and a mass of tentacles and a large, singular eye emerged, while a foul, green mist began seeping out of the tear. All around him, this scene repeated itself, until he was surrounded by writhing tentacles and ever-watchful eyes, although the one in front of him remained the largest.

"Well done, my champion," whispered an eerie, unnatural voice from the abyss, the words worming their way inside Aeros's head. In truth, he couldn't tell if the words were being spoken aloud or if they actually were being spoken inside his head.

"Your journey towards enlightenment has finally led you here," the voice continued. "As I knew it would, and as I decreed when you first read my Oghma Infinium."

"Mora," Aeros spat in distaste. "You know why I'm here."

"Indeed," Mora hissed. "I have known what it is you seek from the moment you set foot here, in my realm. You seek the forbidden knowledge that only one other has obtained. You are Dragonborn, like Miraak before you; a seeker of knowledge and power. I can give you what you seek."

_Well, now I know for certain where Miraak got his power_, Aeros thought to himself. "No," he said, shaking his head vehemently. "I'm here to find the key to stopping Miraak, not follow him down his dark path."

Hermaeus Mora laughed coldly, the sound making Aeros's skin crawl. The great eye in front of him blinked slowly as it regarded him, an ancient cunning and intelligence hiding behind its alien appearance.

"What you seek and the power that Miraak possesses are one and the same," the Daedra said at last.

"Then I'll find the secret to stopping Miraak on my own," Aeros said, wary of accepting any offer of aid from the cunning Daedra. "I don't need your help."

"No," the Daedric Prince disagreed, his voice suddenly changing from a whisper to a growl, before it abruptly returning to its normal quiet tone; the change was so fast that Aeros almost thought he imagined it. Almost. "Look around you. You have done nothing here on your own; had I not willed it, you would not have made it this far. Without my help, you could spend a hundred lifetimes searching my library, and you would never find what you seek."

Aeros looked around him at the vast expanses of Apocrypha, which stretched farther than he could see, and as much as he didn't want to, he was forced to agree with the Demon of Knowledge. He would never find what he was looking for without Mora's help, at least not in time to stop Miraak.

He looked back at the wretched abyss in front of him. "Isn't Miraak your ally?" he asked. "Why would you help me defeat him?"

"Miraak has served me long and well," Hermaeus Mora agreed. "But he grows restless under my guidance. His desire to return to your world would spread my influence more widely, but it would also free him from my direct control. Even now, he has seized control of some of my servants, my Seekers, to aid him in his attempt to leave this place. Perhaps it is time to replace him with a more loyal servant. One who still appreciates the gifts that I have to offer."

_He's afraid of Miraak_, Aeros realized. _Whatever it is Miraak has learned here or is trying to do, it's enough to make Hermaeus Mora think that he might not be able to stop him, or that Miraak might actually beat him._ However, despite this realization, he wisely kept his mouth shut. It was one thing to mouth off to a Daedric Prince, but to do so in the Prince's own realm of Oblivion was pure suicide.

Fine," he said instead. "I'll accept your offer. What is it that I need to know in order to defeat Miraak?"

"Good," said Mora, sounding pleased. "Like all Dragonborn, you seek to use your power to bend the world to your will. Here then is the knowledge you need, although you did not know you needed it."

Aeros felt a flow of knowledge and power enter his mind, the Word of Power and its meaning engraving themselves in his soul. As the flow of knowledge ended, Hermaeus Mora spoke once more. "The second Word of Power," said the Demon of Knowledge. "Use it to bend the wills of mortals to your purpose. But this is not enough. Miraak knows the final Word of Power. Without that, you cannot hope to surpass him. Miraak has served me well, and he was rewarded for his service. I can grant you the same power as he wields, but all knowledge has its price."

"Why do I need this Word of Power to defeat Miraak?" Aeros questioned. He was already fully and painfully aware of how powerful Miraak was, he didn't see how a single word of a Shout would make a difference.

"Even dragons submit to Miraak's Voice," Mora answered. "Without that power, you cannot face him, or even you, Dragonborn, would risk falling to his Thu'um, should your will prove inferior to his. So say I, Hermaeus Mora, master of the tides of Fate."

Aeros hesitated for several long moments, weighing his options. At last though, he gave in. "Fine," he said. "What's your price for the final Word of Power, demon?"

"Knowledge for knowledge," the voice from the abyss replied. "The Skaal have withheld their secrets from me for many long years. It is time for this knowledge to be added to my library." At the mention of the Skaal, Hermaeus Mora's voice took on a far more sinister and menacing tone, almost a snarl, and Aeros suppressed the urge to back away. The mask that the Daedric Prince normally wore and hid behind had slipped, and Aeros was now catching a glimpse of the true Hermaeus Mora, a sinister and twisted being that sought to hoard all knowledge for himself, and hated those who refused to grant him what he desired. He realized that whether or not the Skaal gave up their secrets to him, Hermaeus Mora would not easily forget his grudge against them.

Aeros was wary in accepting any kind of deal with the Daedric Prince, remembering well the fate of Septimus Signus, who had been a loyal servant of Mora's, and also remembering Neloth's words of warning. "How do I know I can trust you, demon?" he demanded. "If you're so willing to betray Miraak, how do I know you won't simply do the same to me, once I give you what you seek?"

"I am Hermaeus Mora," the Prince replied. "My word is as true as fate, as inevitable as destiny. Bring me what I want, and I will give you what you seek."

Aeros scowled. "Fate and destiny are not as absolute as you would pretend, demon. We both know that it is possible to defy them both. But I'll choose to trust that you will hold your word, _this time_. I'll bring you the secrets of the Skaal, and you will uphold your end of the bargain, and give me the final Word of Power necessary to defeat Miraak."

The void shuddered as Hermaeus Mora laughed, as if Aeros's words of scorn were amusing. "You and Miraak are more similar than either of you realize, Dragonborn," he said cryptically. As he spoke, the various rifts all around Aeros began to close, as Hermaeus Mora withdrew. Just before the final portal closed, he delivered one final demand. "Send the Skaal shaman to me. He holds the secrets that will be mine."

As Hermaeus Mora's final words echoed through the air, the portal closed, and Aeros felt the Prince's presence fade. As the last trace of his presence disappeared, the Black Book settled back on its pedestal, its pages inert.

Or so it seemed. Amidst the ever-changing script of the book, a single word floated to the surface. It was written in Daedric runes, but Aeros was just able to decipher it: _Solstheim_.

Realizing that this was his way home, and that he couldn't just stay here forever, since Serana and Frea were likely worrying about him, Aeros placed his hand on the page. He felt a lurching sensation in his gut, and the realm of Apocrypha began to fade around him. Tendrils of darkness wrapped around him as he slowly returned to Nirn, contemplating the potential devil's bargain he had just made.

* * *

\- Nchardak -

Aeros felt the world around him finally stop shifting, and he opened his eyes to see that he was back on Solstheim, in the Nchardak reading room. Serana, Frea, and Neloth all stood when they noticed his return.

"Aeros!" Serana cried. "You're back!"

"Did you find what it is you were seeking?" Freak asked.

Neloth was interested in other matters. "What happened?" he asked impatiently. "What did you see? Different people have very different experiences when reading these books."

Aeros decided to answer all of their questions at the same time. "I spoke with Hermaeus Mora," he answered. His companions reactions varied; Serana and Frea both looked worried, although for different reasons, and Neloth looked extremely interested.

"You're still surprisingly sane, too," the dark elf noted. "Well? What did he say? I sincerely doubt you and old Hermaeus sat down for tea and had a nice, pleasant conversation about the weather."

Aeros sighed. "He taught me the second Word of Power of the Shout that I learned back at Saering's Watch," he replied. "According to Hermaeus Mora, that Shout is the key to Miraak's power, and the key to defeating him too."

"No wonder the Dwemer were so interested in that book," said Neloth. "It would seem that it was indeed the one Miraak used to advance his power as Dragonborn." He looked back up at Aeros. "But I assume there is some bad news as well. It would be unlike Hermaeus Mora to allow anyone to gain such knowledge without a price."

Aeros nodded slowly. "You're right," he admitted. "There is a price. Without the full Shout, I won't be able to face Miraak, not without risking him using it on me. And in exchange for Hermaeus Mora teaching me the third Word of Power…" he looked at Frea shamefaced, "he wants the 'secrets of the Skaal.'"

Frea sucked in her breath in shock. "I'm sorry, Frea," Aeros said apologetically. "Mora refused to accept anything else. If I knew of anything else I could give him-"

"No," Frea said, interrupting him. "You are not to blame, Aeros. You had no choice. I should have known that Herma-Mora would ask such a price from you. He has long sought to steal my people's secrets."

Neloth scoffed. "What secrets could the Skaal have kept from old Mora? Sounds like a bargain to me. Hermaeus Mora learns some fascinating new ways to skin a Horker, and you become the second most powerful Dragonborn that ever lived."

Frea scowled at the Telvanni wizard's contemptuous opinion of her people, but restrained herself from doing more than that. Serana turned to Aeros.

"What do we do now?" she asked. "Head straight back to Skaal Village?"

Aeros shook his head. "No, first we need to accompany Neloth back to Tel Mithryn. We had a deal, after all. He helped us retrieve the Black Book and in return, he gets to make a copy of its contents. After that, we'll head straight back to the village."

"When we return, you will need to speak to my father," Frea said. "As shaman, he is the keeper of all of the Skaal's lore and knowledge. I have learned some of what he knows, but there are some things that no one but the shaman is allowed to know."

Aeros nodded in agreement. He had figured as much when Hermaeus Mora had demanded that Storn deliver the knowledge to him. "All right," he said. "I'll speak to Storn when we get back to the village. For now though, let's join Neloth before he decides to leave us." Indeed, the aged Dunmer was already waiting by the door, tapping his foot impatiently against the ground.

Opening the doors, they stepped out of the ruins onto the platform outside. As they walked through the doorway however, Aeros felt _something _shift. He looked up at the sky overhead and stopped. Overhead, where the sky had been a bright, clear blue just a moment before, it was now a sickly green that pulsed and writhed. It was a sky he had seen only a few minutes ago.

"Aeros, what-?" Serana started to ask, but she stopped when she followed his gaze. "What is going on?" she asked in shock. Aeros had a pretty good idea of what was going on, and who was responsible. _Miraak_, he thought. _I should have known he would interfere and try to stop us._

"It's Miraak!" he started to say. "He's trying to stop-"

But he never finished what he was going to say, as he was interrupted by a loud roar and the sound of wingbeats. They all froze and looked about warily. A moment later, a dragon appeared over the ruins, landing on the domed roof of one of the few surviving towers of Nchardak. It glared balefully at all of them, before speaking.

"I am Krosulhah!" the dragon roared challengingly. "Miraak has commanded your death, Dovahkiin. So it shall be." The dragon reared its head back as it opened its jaws.

"Move!" Aeros yelled, and they all scrambled out of the way as the dragon unleashed an inferno upon the spot that they had been standing in, scorching the stones and doors. Krosulhah took to the air again, buffeting them with a strong gust of wind.

"By Malacath's toenails, where did that come from?" Neloth exclaimed as he recovered from the wind. He didn't receive an answer, as everyone was too focused on dealing with this new enemy that had just presented itself.

As the dragon circled overhead, Frea stood and pulled her bow off of her back. Quickly stringing it, she nocked an arrow, and taking aim at the fast moving target flying overhead, let it fly. Her aim was true, and the arrow buried itself in the dragon's softer underbelly. Krosulhah bellowed in pain, the sound doubling in volume when he was quickly struck by several more arrows, as well as a number of destruction spells from Aeros, Serana, and Neloth.

Flying out of the range of their spells, Krosulhah turned around, picking up speed as he rapidly flew back towards them. He opened his maw wide, and Aeros's eyes widened as he realized what the dragon was planning.

"Wards!" he yelled, and immediately all of them ceased their attack and raised their hands, four individual wards forming overhead. As Krosulhah passed overhead, he bathed the entire platform in flames. Hitting the magical barriers, the flames split to the sides, although Aeros could still feel the incredible heat coming through. Just as the flames began to die, the dragon flew overhead again, unleashing another blast of fire. The flames were even more intense this time, and Aeros actually felt his ward begin to buckle, and saw what almost looked like cracks forming across its surface.

Quickly glancing at his companions, Aeros realized that their wards wouldn't survive another pass like that, with the exception of Neloth. So as soon as the flames died down, Aeros dropped his ward before it could drain him of all of his magicka. Looking up, he saw that Krosulhah was coming back to make another run.

As the dragon neared the platform again, Aeros hit him head-on with his own Thu'um. "JOOR ZAH FRUL!" he shouted, enveloping the dragon with the full force of Dragonrend.

"Bein Rotmulaag!" Krosulhah roared as he struggled to stay aloft, already feeling the effects of the ancient Shout created by the Tongues of old. "What foul words are these?!"

Unable to continue flying any longer, he landed on the platform, right in the midst of them. Serana ducked to avoid being buffeted by the great beast's wings, and Aeros had to jump to the side to avoid having a chunk taken out of him by the dragon's snapping jaws. Drawing his swords, he met the dragon's assault head on. While Aeros kept the beast distracted, Serana and Frea drew their own weapons and attacked its flanks, while Neloth kept his distance to continue to barrage it with spells.

Krosulhah roared in anger at the numerous cuts and injuries these pathetic joor were inflicting on him while he was stripped of his ability to fly. Realizing that the others were at risk, Aeros attempted to lead the dragon's attention away from them. However, while he succeeded in getting Krosulhah to follow him, he forgot that the dovah were not just limited to tooth and claw.

Frea charged in again at the dragon's rear flank, taking advantage of its seeming inattention and using the opportunity to sink her axe blades into its scaly hide. However, she was so focused on her attack, that she failed to take notice of the whiplike tail coming towards her.

"Oomph!" she grunted as the tail struck her in the midsection, actually denting the metal plates of her armor and forcing all of the air out of her body. Propelled by the sheer force behind the blow, Frea was knocked backwards off of the side of the platform. As she fell, she just barely managed to grab a hold of the ledge, her body slamming against the side while the muscles in her arms screamed in protest. She tried to pull herself up, but the weight of her armor combined with the fact that she still hadn't gotten her breath back yet prevented her from doing anything more than just hang there and desperately try not to slip.

"Grab my hand," a voice said from above her. Looking up, she saw that Serana was standing over her, reaching down to help pull her back up. Frea managed to grab ahold of the proffered hand, and with a supernatural strength that belied her slight frame, Serana managed to hoist Frea up and back onto the ledge.

"Thanks," Frea panted, bending down to pick her axes up from where they had fallen.

"No problem," Serana replied. "Now what do you say we get back to helping Aeros out?"

Frea nodded in agreement, and they hurried back towards where Aeros was still facing Krosulhah.

"Soon Miraak will return to reclaim his rightful junaar over Solstheim, and all will bow before him!" Krosulhah declared, once again lunging at Aeros. Aeros dodged the snapping jaws, giving the dragon a slash across the snout for the trouble.

"Not if I can help it," he growled, as he spun out of the way of the razor-tipped claws at the end of the dovah's wings. As he spun to avoid the blow, he delivered a powerful double bladed attack across the dragon's shoulder, using the momentum to increase the strength of the blow. The blades cut across the dragon's scaly hide, laying it open all the way to the bone, as their twin enchantments simultaneously froze and seared both flesh and bone. Krosulhah bellowed in pain.

"Why are you even obeying Miraak?" Aeros demanded. "He's Dragonborn, he's killed dozen of your fellow dovah and strung them up for display. I've seen the proof at his temple!"

For a moment, Krosulhah hesitated, an expression of confusion twisting his serpentine features. "A temple?" he questioned. "I remember a raald, a temple...the dov, we burned it to the ground...but why? The memory is hazy, as if it were a hahnu, a dream…"

_Damn_, Aeros thought. _It seems Miraak really can manipulate the will of dragons. If he managed to get them to forget his rebellion and obey him, there's no way I'll be able to convince them of his treachery._

Krosulhah's confusion was short-lived, before his previous bloodlust and anger returned. "Enough," he growled. "I obey Miraak, and will help ensure his return. I will hear no more of your lies, Loaan; now you die."

The dragon opened his maw and unleashed a wave of bone-chilling frost directly at Aeros. Caught off guard, Aeros raised an arm to cover his face as he was engulfed in the freezing cold. His armor and its enchantments protected him somewhat, but even with his beast blood and Nordic resistance towards cold, the freezing temperatures of the dragon's Thu'um was almost too much for him, as he felt his body begin to grow sluggish.

Through the freezing cone of frost, Aeros heard the sound of a warcry. Krosulhah grunted, and the blast of cold abruptly cut off. Lowering his arm, he saw that Frea had made a reappearance, and while the wyrm had been focused on Aeros, she had snuck up behind it and buried one of her war axes just behind the shoulder blade. As Krosulhah twisted to snap at the impertinent Skaal, he staggered back slightly as he was struck in the side by a thunderbolt and...an ash storm? Turning his head slightly, he realized that Neloth had cast the thunderbolt spell; the ash storm was likely the result of the unusual atronach in front of him that actually appeared to be made of ash.

Wondering what had happened to Serana, Aeros turned back towards Frea and Krosulhah and was shocked as he witnessed Serana charging towards the wyrm. Once she drew close enough, she nimbly jumped onto the dragon's head. Sensing the additional weight, Krosulhah shook his head about, trying to shake the irritating pest off. But despite his efforts, Serana hung on. Ignoring the wild shaking and thrashing of the dragon, as if it were no more bothersome than the rocking of a boat, Serana unsheathed her dagger. Reversing her grip on it, Serana leaned forward and in a single swift movement, plunged the elven blade into the dragon's eye.

Krosulhah roared in pain, the loudest cry he had made yet, as he felt the blade stab his eye and severing his vision through that eye. He began to buck and thrash even more violently in an attempt to knock the vampire clinging to his head off so that he could extract revenge. But Serana wasn't done yet.

Keeping a firm grip on the hilt of her dagger, Serana drew upon her well of magicka. Her hand, still gripping the dagger, was enveloped in countless arcs of electricity as she channeled the energy through her dagger. Traveling along the conductive surface of Serana's blade, the lightning penetrated Krosulhah's eye socket and began to electrocute him from the inside out. It was an ingenious idea on Serana's part. Dragon's were highly resistant to all forms of magic, their scaly hides shrugging off weaker spells and reducing the effects of even the strongest spells. However, that only worked in places where a dragon was protected by scales. The insides of a dragon were about as resistant to magic as a Nord who had too much to drink; in other words, not at all.

Krosulhah writhed in agony as the lightning arced through his body, damaging tissue and organs alike. However, it still wasn't quite enough to put him down.

"Come on," Serana muttered from where she still clung to the top of his head, holding onto a horn for support. She redoubled her efforts, and as the flow of magicka increased, so did the intensity of the spell. At last, the bolts of lightning reached the dovah's brain, searing the delicate tissue and severing the connection between mind and body. With one last jerk, the dragon slumped to the ground, lifeless.

Though the battle had ended, no one relaxed yet, some unknown tension still filling the air. Up above, the sky was still a sickening green as it twisted and writhed. Freeing her dagger, Serana slid off of the now deceased dragon and joined Aeros, who was staring fixedly at the corpse of the dragon, as its flesh and scales began to burn away, as if waiting for something.

A moment later, what he was waiting for was made clear, as the sound of an explosion filled the air, and the spectral image of Miraak appeared next to the remains of Krosulhah.

"A pity," the ghostly Dragon Priest said as he examined the remains. "Krosulhah was a powerful dovah, and served me for many years. I had hoped that he might at least wound you, Dovahkiin, but I realize now that was a foolish hope. "

"Miraak," Aeros said, resisting the urge to growl. Miraak lifted his head and met Aeros's glare. Once again, Aeros got the feeling that there was a smirk hidden under that mask.

"Do you ever wonder if it hurts?" Miraak asked suddenly. "To have one's soul ripped out like that?"

"I have, but I doubt you really care if it does or not," Aeros replied coldly. "Now stop wasting my time and tell me what it is you're here for."

"Why, I simply wanted to congratulate you on retrieving the Black Book, and defeating my servant," Miraak answered, clapping mockingly. "Well done."

"Although," he continued, "I must confess that I am shocked by your actions, Aeros. Seeking out a Black Book and making a deal with Hermaeus Mora?" He shook his head in disappointment. "You claimed that you were different than me, and yet here you are, following in my footsteps. I expected better from you"

"Don't even try any of your mind games, monster," Aeros snapped. "They won't work this time. In fact, I'm surprised you even made an appearance, given that your slave failed you."

"True, Krosulhah may have failed me in the task I gave him," Miraak admitted with a shrug. "But that does not mean he can be of further use to me. His soul can still help bring me closer to my goal."

Between them, the corpse of Krosulhah had continued to burn away while they had been preoccupied, until there was nothing left but a skeleton. As if Miraak's words were a command, the dragon's soul swept through the air towards the Dragon Priest.

"Don't assume that things will always go your way, Miraak," Aeros growled, unwilling to so easily allow Miraak what he wanted. As he spoke, the whirlwind of color and heat stopped, coalescing upon itself as it was torn between the immense wills of the two Dragonborns, as Aeros and Miraak each strained to claim it as their own. This silent struggle went on for several long moments, until finally the soul of Krosulhah haltingly swept towards Miraak, circling him momentarily before being absorbed by his own soul.

Miraak was shocked by the resistance Aeros had put up, not to mention the fact that he had almost lost the struggle for the dragon's soul. "It would seem that I underestimated you, young Dovahkiin," he said at last, a note of begrudging respect in his voice. "Perhaps you truly do stand a chance of making it to me. If so, I look forward to it; It's been far too long since I've had such a challenging fight, not since that damnable Vahlok tried to stop me when I rebelled against the dragons."

"But my time here grows short," Miraak said. Indeed, as he spoke, his ghostly form was fading. "Soon I will return in full to Solstheim, and reclaim my rulership over its people." He sneered. "Since you are so determined to play the hero for these people, I've no doubt you will try to stop me. Let us see then who is truly the stronger Dragonborn."

With that, the apparition disappeared, leaving only a faint residual trace of magic behind. As Miraak returned to Apocrypha, the sky overhead finally returned to normal, a vivid blue tinged with a slight gray from the ash from Red Mountain.

With the disappearance of Miraak, everyone finally relaxed, sagging slightly in relief, as their exhaustion hit them. Serana leaned against Aeros tiredly.

"Please tell me that another dragon isn't going to show up?" she asked.

Aeros shook his head. "No, I don't think another one will make an appearance. No matter how powerful Miraak is, exerting his influence on this place and actually summoning Krosulhah from Apocrypha to Nirn has to be tiring. And with us drawing closer to challenging him, he's likely planning on conserving his strength."

"Good," Serana sighed in relief. "Because one is enough, especially after spending the entire day delving through some Dwemer ruins."

Aeros chuckled. "I have to admit," he said, "I was more than a little surprised when you jumped on that dragon's head like that. Normally, I'm the one to pull something like that."

"Just don't expect a repeat performance anytime soon," Serana muttered. "Simply trying to stay on and still concentrate on channeling enough magicka to kill the thing left me exhausted. I think I'll leave the reckless stunts to you from now on."

Aeros laughed at her words, and even Serana managed to crack a small grin. After that, nobody said much for a while, as they all recovered from the tiring events of the day. At last though, Aeros helped Serana to her feet, and Neloth and Frea likewise stood up.

"Let's keep moving," Aeros suggested. "Even if Miraak is conserving his strength, I'd rather not wait around and tempt him to throw something else at us. Neloth," he said, addressing the Telvanni wizard. "We had a deal. You helped us retrieve the Black Book like you promised, so now it's our turn to uphold our end of the bargain. We'll return with you to Tel Mithryn, and you can make a copy of the Black Book."

"After that…" He paused and sighed. "After that, we'll head back to Skaal Village and talk to Storn about Hermaeus Mora's price. Miraak's return is drawing close, and one way or another, I plan on stopping him."

* * *

Author's Notes: So before I say anything else, let me just say one thing: Apocrypha is a creepy and eerie place. Both the Daedra that live there and the realm itself are very Lovecraftian in their appearance, and listening to the background noises of that place with headphones on has creeped me out more than once. That's why I tried to capture some of that sense of eeriness and wrongness in this chapter.

As for Hermaeus Mora...well, he's definitely a disconcerting Prince to say the least. Many of the other Daedric Princes are at least somewhat understandable, and prefer forms that are at least vaguely humanoid. But Hermaeus is such an absolutely _alien _being, both in appearance and in his nature. He's very cunning and calculating, but has also demonstrated at times a more sinister side. That is exactly why not only Aeros but even Miraak is more than a little wary of him.

Still, due to Hermaeus Mora's machinations, the conflict between the First and Last Dragonborn is drawing ever nearer. There are quite a few interesting thoughts floating around in my head as to how things might unfold in the next chapter, but we'll just have to see which ones actually make it.

Please feel free to like or leave a review, and also to point out any mistakes I might have made or to offer any suggestions you might have.

Characters:

Krosulhah: A dragon under the command of Miraak, Krosulhah makes an appearance outside of Nchardak after your recovery of the Black Book. He has been ordered by Miraak to kill you, and immediately precedes to attempt to do so. His name means Sorcerer-Day-Mind

Dragon Language:

Su Grah Dun = Air Battle Grace (Elemental Fury Shout)

Joor Zah Frul = Mortal Finite Temporary (Dragonrend Shout)

Joor = Mortal(s)

Bein Rotmulaag = Foul Words of Power

Junaar = Kingship/Rulership

Dovah = Dragon(s)

Raald = Temple

Dov = Dragonkind

Hahnu = Dream

Loaan = Deveiver


	41. At the Summit of Apocrypha 7

At the Summit of Apocrypha 7

Aeros, Serana, and Frea arrived at Skaal Village the morning after their retrieval of the Black Book.

After the defeat of Krosulhah, the three of them had returned with Neloth to Tel Mithryn, to uphold their end of the bargain. His transcribing of the Black Book that they had recovered took longer than they had expected, as the wizard slowly and meticulously copied the contents of the book while maintaining whatever protective spell he was using to protect himself from the book's pull. By the time Neloth was satisfied with his work, and had checked to make sure that he had not made any mistakes, the sun was beginning to set.

Declining the Dunmer's surprisingly generous offer of letting them borrow one of the unoccupied rooms in his tower, the three of them set out for Skaal Village, hoping to cover as much distance as possible before night fell. They managed to make it about halfway, to where the ash that covered the southern half of the island began to give way to grass and other vegetation, before deciding to stop for the night. Initially, Aeros had wanted to keep going through the night until they reached the village, but when he had looked over at Frea and Serana to suggest it, he realized just how exhausted they were. As a matter of fact, so was he. He had felt it lurking just out of sight back at Tel Mithryn when they were waiting for Neloth to finish his work, and even the cup of canis root tea the wizard's steward had brought him had only managed to take the edge off of it. It actually wasn't surprising that they were so exhausted. They had spent the entire day delving through dwarven ruins and battling various animunculi just to be able to get to the book. And that was before he had to fight his way through Apocrypha, and was forced to deal with a mind-controlled dragon sent by Miraak to kill them. The only reason he hadn't collapsed yet, and he suspected it was the same for Frea and Serana, was because the drive to stop Miraak had kept most of the exhaustion at bay.

So instead, he suggested that they stop and set up camp for the night. Frea and Serana agreed without argument, and within a few minutes, their tents were pitched and they had a decent sized campfire burning merrily away. There was little conversation that night, as they were all too exhausted for small talk, and none of them felt in the mood to discuss what might come in the morning. Instead, they sat around the campfire for a short while, enjoying the warmth it gave off, and gazing at the flickering flames, before they said goodnight to each other and crawled off into their respective bedrolls and quickly fell asleep.

When they awoke the next morning, they quickly broke down camp, and Aeros kicked some dirt over the smoldering remains of the campfire, before they set out once more. They traveled at a faster pace than they had the night before, having recovered the majority of their strength after a good night's rest. Within a few hours, they were within sight of the village, which looked much more alive than it had when Frea had first brought Aeros and Serana there.

As they entered the village, several of the Skaal noticed their return and offered greetings. The three of them distractedly returned them, but did not stop, continuing onwards towards Storn's home.

Storn, as it turned out, was not at his home, but was actually standing outside of the Greathall, talking to the chief of the Skaal, Fanari Strong-Voice. Fanari was the first to notice their arrival.

"We will have to continue our conversation later," she said, excusing herself. "You have visitors, Storn."

As she left to go take care of other matters in the village, Storn turned and greeted Aeros, Frea, and Serana.

"Welcome back, you three," he said. "Was your quest successful? Did you find the key to defeating Miraak?"

"Yes," Aeros grimaced, while Frea and Serana nodded numbly Storn looked at them silently, taking in their expressions.

"Ah. There is a price to this key, isn't there?" he asked knowingly. Aeros nodded.

"There is," he admitted. "I spoke to Hermaeus Mora. It would seem that in order to resist and beat Miraak, I need to know all three words of the Shout I learned at Saering's Watch. Hermaeus Mora promised to teach me the final word in exchange for the 'secrets of the Skaal.'"

"Hermaeus Mora. Old Herma-Mora himself," Storn mused. "So he is the source of Miraak's power. Of course. I should have guessed; we Skaal have many tales of Hema-Mora trying to trick us into giving up our secrets to him. And now he comes again for what we have long kept from him."

"What are these 'secrets of the Skaal' that he wants?" Aeros asked.

"Ah," Storn shrugged. "Ancient lore, handed down from shaman to shaman since the All-Maker first gave Solstheim to the Skaal. How to talk to the wind, how to listen to the earth; these are our secrets. Nothing of power or mastery."

"Why would Hermaeus Mora want to know such things?" Aeros questioned. "It serves no use to him."

"It is the nature of Herma-Mora, as the Demon of Knowledge, to hoard secrets to himself. Their value to him is of no consequence. The Skaal have long guarded our secrets and kept them from him. That simple fact alone has merely increased his desire to steal them."

The aged shaman sighed heavily. "And so it seems that it falls to me to be the one to give up our secrets to our ancient enemy. I do not know if I have the strength to face him; the Tree Stone is still corrupted and the land is still out of balance. But with the other five restored… It may be enough. It will have to be."

"You mean you're going to give Hermaeus Mora what he wants?" Aeros asked incredulously. Storn nodded calmly.

"Yes," he said. "Though we have long kept our secrets from him, the Skaal also tell of the day when we must finally give them up, when Herma-Mora finally wins. As shaman, it is my duty to guard these secrets, but also to decide when it is necessary to give them up. I believe that time is now. If I am wrong, may my ancestors forgive me."

He noted the conflicted look on Aeros's face, and smiled reassuringly. "Do not worry. As I said, it is a fate that every shaman has accepted the eventuality of. Besides, you said that you cannot defeat Miraak without the final Word of Power, did you not?" Aeros nodded reluctantly.

"Now give me the book," Storn said resolutely. "I will read it, and speak to old Herma-Mora myself. I will make sure he lives up to his part of the bargain."

Aeros slowly pulled the book out of his pack, and went to hand it to Storn. Just before he surrendered it to the aged shaman, he hesitated. "There has to be another way," he said in a low voice that only Storn could hear. "You've kept knowledge from Hermaeus Mora, and he bears you a heavy grudge for it. If you open this book, there's a good chance he will kill you purely out of spite. Teach me the secrets of the Skaal instead, and I can give it to him in your place. That way he still gets what he wants, but no one has to die."

Storn shook his head. "I thank you, Aeros, but I do not think that will be enough to satisfy Herma-Mora. He asked for me to give him the knowledge personally, didn't he?" Aeros looked away guiltily, and he smiled sadly. "I thought as much. It would be unlike the Demon of Knowledge to obtain that which he has long desired without extracting revenge on those who have kept it from him. Now, the book."

Aeros reluctantly handed him the book. "I hope you know what you're doing," he said.

"That is my hope as well," Stone murmured in response. "I am trusting you will make this sacrifice worthwhile."

As Storn began to open the book, Frea could keep quiet no longer. "Father, you must not do this!" she cried. "That book is...wrong. Evil. Against everything you have taught me my whole life."

"I must, Frea," Storn said. "It is the only way to free Solstheim forever from Miraak's shadow. There comes a time when everything must change. Nothing that lives remains the same forever." He smiled sadly. "Do not fear for me, my daughter. This is the destiny that the All-Maker has laid out for me."

Frea nodded, stifling her tears. "I stand besides you, Father, as always," she said, her voice thick with emotion.

Storn squared his shoulders, and held the Black Book out before him. "I am ready for whatever the foul master of this book has in store for me," he declared in a loud, strong voice as he opened the book.

There was a pulse of Daedric magic, similar to when Aeros had opened the giant Black Book in Apocrypha; and just like last time, the book began to float in the air on its own in front of Storn. There was one brief moment, where it seemed that Aeros's fears might have been unfounded. But that moment quickly passed, and all of Aeros's fears were confirmed, as black tendrils shot out of the pages of the book, impaling Storn.

"Father!" Frea cried. She tried to run towards her father, but Serana caught her and pulled her back before she could get too close. Helpless, the three of them stood horrified at the scene that was unfolding before them.

"At last," a sinister and alien voice whispered in triumph and glee, the sound echoing in their heads. "The Skaal yield up their secrets to me!" As the sound echoed in their heads, the air around them shifted and warped as Hermaeus Mora appeared, a mass of tentacles surrounding the single golden eye that floated in the space above Storn.

"You...liar," Storn grated out. "Gah!" he yelled in pain as the tendrils that were impaling him twisted cruelly. Fighting through the pain, Storn glared at Hermaeus Mora. "You...have...what...you...want." He grimaced as the tendrils twisted again. "Now...keep...your...promise!"

"Do something!" Frea begged Aeros. But Aeros felt like he was stuck in a dream or a nightmare; his body refused to move, no matter how much he tried to make it.

Hermaeus Mora turned his gaze towards Aeros. "Dragonborn," he intoned, "you have delivered to me the gift that I requested. In return, I keep my promise, as befits a Prince of Oblivion. I give you the final Word of Power that you need to challenge Miraak."

A black tendril struck Storn in the chest, and he yelled in agonizing pain before finally going limp. The tendrils withdrew, and Storn collapsed to the ground, bleeding heavily. Carved on his chest was the final Word of Power. _Dov, Dragon._

As a sense of power and understanding surged through him, Aeros was filled with revulsion at the feeling, and at the knowledge of the price that was paid for it.

"You now possess the power to challenge Miraak," Hermaeus Mora said as he began to withdraw back to Apocrypha. "You will either be a worthy opponent or his successor, as the tides of fate decree."

His last statement still echoing through the air, the tentacles and golden eye of Hermaeus Mora disappeared.

"Father!" Frea yelled, and this time Serana let her go. Running to where Storn lay, she fell to her knees and cradled him in her arms. "Father, please!" she sobbed. "Don't die. Don't leave me."

Storn smiled weakly, as he lifted his hand and laid it against her cheek. "Don't cry, Frea," he said, his voice no more than a whisper. "I've lived a long life, and now the All-Maker calls me to his side. Be strong, and help lead our people."

"I will," Frea promised, her tears falling freely. "I will, Father, I promise."

"I know you will," Storn said. "I am proud of you, Frea." Storn closed his eyes for the last time, and his chest stilled.

As Frea sobbed, the rest of the village, still horrified by what they had witnessed, surrounded her to share in her grief.

Aeros and Serana stood frozen, unsure of what to do, and still shocked by Storn's death. Finally, Aeros realized he should say something. "Frea…" he whispered hoarsely. He cleared his throat and tried again. "Frea," he said in an unsteady voice. "I'm so sorry."

Frea didn't respond for a long time, and at first Aeros though she hadn't heard him. But eventually, she lifted her head and looked at him with bloodshot eyes that pierced him to his core. Before she could respond though, they were interrupted by the sound of a horn and someone yelling.

"There's a group of people coming from the direction of the temple!" one of the hunters, Wulf Wild-Blood yelled as he came sprinting towards them. From the looks of things, he had been out hunting before he came rushing back, his bow and horn still in his hands. "They're all wearing the same kind of robes and masks that we've seen up around the the temple. I didn't stop to get a good count of how many there are, but from what I could tell, they're all armed."

Aeros and Serana exchanged a worried glance. It sounded like Miraak had sent some of his cultists to prevent Aeros from trying to stop him. And they were likely to cut down anyone who got in their way.

Realizing the danger, Aeros found the chief of the Skaal, Fanari Strong-Voice. "Fanari," he said urgently. "That group heading towards the village, they're a group of Miraak's cultists. If we don't intercept them, they're going to kill anyone they can."

Fanari's eyes widened at news of the threat to her village. She gave him a quick nod before turning to face the rest of the village. "All right, listen up!" she yelled in a commanding voice. "I know we're all...in shock at what just happened, but we'll have to mourn for Storn later. There's a group of cultists on its way that means to kill every last one of us if we put an end to them first. So I need any and all hunters and warriors to help protect the village."

Aeros and Serana were the first to step forward, and after that ten or so hunters and warriors stepped forward as well, as well as Fanari herself. Frea was too consumed by grief to take much notice of what was going on, so they decided to leave her to mourn for her father. Once it was apparent that nobody else was going to step forward, Fanari nodded to Wulf to lead them to the cultists.

Wulf led them in the direction he had spotted the cultists, cutting through the trees to both save time and so as to catch the cultists unawares. It was only a few minutes later when he held up his hand for them to stop. Wanting to catch a glimpse of what they were up against, Aeros cautiously peered through the trees.

Just beyond the trees, lay a large clearing through which the path to Skaal Village cut through. Trudging along the path, their faces hidden behind their masks, was a group of twenty cultists, armed for battle. Wulf had been right, at least half of the weapons the cultists carried were larger than a dagger, and Aeros suspected that at least the other half, if not all of them, were capable spellcasters. Their best bet was to flank the cultists; hopefully the chaos and confusion of having to deal with an attack from multiple directions would slow the cultists' reactions, and minimize the amount of casualties on the Skaal's side.

Motioning to Wulf and Fanari, Aeros explained his plan to them. They nodded in agreement, and silently moved further down the treeline so that they would be behind the cultists when they attacked, taking half of the warriors that had volunteered with them.

Aeros silently counted in his head, until he figured that he had given the other group enough time to get into position. He glanced over at Serana, who gave him a reassuring nod as she gripped her dagger, the beginning of a spell already forming in her free hand. Glancing back at the handful of hunters and warriors waiting anxiously behind them, he drew his swords, and with a loud battle cry, charged out of the trees directly towards the cultists. Bolstered by his fearlessness, the Skaal echoed his cry as they charged after him.

Taken by surprise, the cultists' ranks shattered under the force of Aeros, Serana, and the Skaal. However, they displayed a surprising amount of discipline, and following several shouted commands from their leaders, they quickly regained their composure and began to fight didn't take them long though to regain their composure and begin to fight back. That is, until a second war cry sounded from behind them, as Fanari's group crashed into their rear ranks, and began cutting down their commanders.

The battle after that was a chaotic mess, as the fighting separated into little pockets. Despite their numbers, the cultists soon found themselves on the defensive, as the Skaal fought ferociously to defend their village. What really tipped the scales though, was Aeros and Serana. The pair whirled through the battle like a maelstrom, fighting in a pattern that had long ago grown familiar to them, both of them unconsciously moving in tandem to the other, covering each other's blind spots and creating openings for the other to strike at. In their wake was left a trail of bodies.

Eventually, the fight ended, as the last of the cultists were cut down. For several minutes afterwards, the clearing as everyone sought to catch their breath. Once a number of the Skaal had sufficiently recovered, Aeros sent one of the hunters ahead to scout and keep watch for any additional groups; he had a feeling that Miraak wouldn't settle for sending just one. While they waited for the scout to return, Aeros began going around and helping heal any injuries the Skaal had received. Part of him argued that he should be conserving his magicka for his battle with Miraak, but he didn't listen to it. It was partly his fault that the Skaal had been thrust into the middle of the conflict between him and Miraak, so healing their injuries was the least he could do.

Once he had finished his task, he and Serana began to walk towards where Fanari was resting, to discuss further defense of the village with her. But as they passed by the corpse of a cultist, the supposed "corpse" turned out to still have some life left in it, as the man leaped to his feet and swung his sword at Aeros's exposed neck.

But the blow never landed. There was a faint whistling sound as something hurtled through the air, before an axe made of enchanted ice buried itself in the man's chest. He crumpled in a heap and did not stir, now well and truly dead.

Aeros and Serana, as well as most of the Skaal, turned to look in amazement in the direction from which the axe had been thrown. To everyone's shock and disbelief, they found Frea slowly walking towards them, her Stalhrim-forged axe missing from her side.

"Frea," Serana said in surprise. "What are you doing here?"

Frea stared at her and Aeros. Her eyes, though still red from crying, were now filled with a determined glint. "Fanari was right," she said. "There will be time for me to mourn my father later, once everything is over. In the meantime, I intend to help protect my people."

At that moment, the scout they had sent ahead came running back. "There's another group on its way!" she panted. "It's even larger than the first one!"

"Damn it," Aeros swore. He had no idea just how big Miraak's cult was, or how many of them were true worshippers and not just being mind controlled. What he _did _know, was that Miraak's followers weren't going to stop attacking Skaal Village until either they or everyone in the village had died, or he killed Miraak first.

_But I can't just leave Frea and Serana and a handful of warriors to fend off gods know how many attacks_, he thought to himself. He was torn, between the desire to put an end to this conflict between him and Miraak once and for all, and his unwillingness to abandon Frea and Serana.

Frea had also come to the same conclusion, and realized Aeros's dilemma. "Go," she said. "My father sacrificed himself so that you could destroy Miraak and lift his master's shadow from the land. Go, then. Kill Miraak. Do not fail."

"But-" Aeros began, but Frea cut him off.

"Do not worry about us," she reassured him. "Serana and I will be able to handle a few overzealous fanatics. Now go, put an end to Miraak before he causes anyone else to get hurt."

Aeros hesitantly agreed, stealing a glance at Serana. Frea caught the movement and gave him an understanding look. "I must talk with my fellow warriors, and see to it that we are prepared for the coming battle. I will give you two some time alone."

She quietly slipped away, leaving just the two of them.

"I wish I could go with you," Serana sighed. "But I don't think Frea and the Skaal alone will be enough to hold off the cultists. They're going to need my help."

Aeros grimaced. "You're right. I don't know how many of those cultists are just simple fighters, and how many are mages, but the mages at least are more than the average warrior can handle."

He sighed and looked up at the sky. "I wish I could stay and help, but can't put this off any longer," he said as he pulled out the Black Book. "If I'm going to fight Miraak and try to stop him, I'd rather it be on my terms, not his." He looked down at Serana and smiled sadly. "I guess this is goodbye then."

"Don't say that!" Serana said vehemently, glaring at him angrily. Aeros was taken aback at her reaction. Her expression softened as she explained, "Saying goodbye like that, it's like you're not expecting to come back."

Aeros's eyes widened in understanding, but before he could reply, they heard someone shouting. "They're almost here!" cried the scout who had originally gone ahead. At news of the next group of cultists' imminent arrival, everyone climbed to their feet and grabbed their weapons.

"Looks like that's your cue," Serana murmured. "Promise you'll come back to me?"

Aeros nodded in agreement. "Looks like it. I promise I'll make it back, no matter what. And then you and I will take a nice long break from any sort of adventuring and saving the world. The only thing we'll have to worry about is how furious the noblewomen of Elisif's court will be with me for running off with you."

Despite herself, Serana had to laugh at the image of Aeros trying to fend off a mob of angry noblewomen. His frivolous comments had worked, and she found some of her tension and anxiety draining away. As Aeros started to open the book again, she grabbed him and pulled him in for a heartfelt kiss.

"Good luck," she said as they pulled apart. Aeros grinned crookedly at her.

"Thanks," he said. "I'll see you soon, once this is all over. I'd like to see Miraak or Hermaeus Mora just try and stop me."

Serana smiled back at him, and watched as he finally opened the Black Book. Once again, he read the strange and indecipherable text written on the ancient pages, their meaning no clearer to him now than the first time he had read them.

"_The eyes, once bleached by falling stars of utmost revelation, will forever see the faint insight drawn by the overwhelming question, as only the True Enquiry shapes the edge of thought._

_The rest is vulgar fiction, attempts to impose order on the consensus mantlings of an uncaring godhead."_

As he read the final sentence, tendrils emerged from the pages and wrapped around him. He felt himself falling into the pages of the Black Book and beyond, to the realm of Apocrypha.

* * *

\- Apocrypha -

Aeros opened his eyes and found himself back at the place where he had first encountered Miraak. This time however, he was alone. There was not a soul present, not even the so-called Seekers of Hermaeus Mora's that had sent him back to Nirn the first time he had come here.

He started to look around for a clue as to where Miraak might be, but stopped suddenly. _Something feels different_, he thought. He opened and closed his hand experimentally. _My body feels...stronger somehow, more whole._ He shook his head. _No, maybe it's not that I'm stronger, maybe it's that I was weaker than normal when I came here before, but I just never noticed it_. Unable to fully explain it, even to himself, he set the matter aside as an issue for later. He certainly wasn't going to complain about being at full strength for his fight with Miraak.

He was just examining another of the ancient and giant Black Books that were scattered across Apocrypha when he heard the faint sound of a dragon's roar, originating from a massive tower in the distance. Looking closely, he could just barely make out the forms of several dragons circling the tower's summit.

"Looks like Miraak's not planning on hiding," Aeros muttered to himself. Instead, the other Dragonborn was issuing a clear challenge to Aeros, daring him to come to the tower and face him. It was a challenge that Aeros planned on answering.

With that resolve in mind, he opened the Black Book and teleported further into Apocrypha, drawing closer to his confrontation with Miraak.

* * *

\- Solstheim -

Serana watched as Aeros opened the Black Book and journeyed to Apocrypha. To her surprise, instead of becoming transparent and little better than a ghost like he had previously, Aeros disappeared entirely. She didn't know what that meant, and it worried her more than a little, but she pushed it out of her mind. Aeros would be fine; right now, she had a village to defend.

"Do you think he will be all right?" Frea asked as Serana joined her. She had also noticed Aeros's disappearance, and was concerned.

"He'll be fine," Serana reassured her. "Miraak caught him by surprise during their first encounter. I think he'll find that this time, the fight won't go so smoothly. But I think we have other matters to worry about right now, don't you?" As she spoke, the first of the cultists appeared, proclaiming the death of the Skaal for their master.

"You are right," Frea said as she pulled her axes out of their holsters. "We must keep the village safe until Aeros can defeat Miraak." She gave a loud war cry as she charged towards the cultists, Serana alongside her with dagger and magic in hand, and with the rest of the Skaal right behind her.

* * *

\- Apocrypha -

As the gates opened, Aeros swore. He had fought his way all the way through Apocrypha, and he was still no closer to Miraak's tower than he had been an hour ago; in fact, he was even further away now than he had been when he started. But with no other option, he continued to push on.

Trying to suppress his frustration, he walked through the doorway, examining the space he now found himself in. It was a wide open platform, not too different from where he had first found himself. There was a large pool of oily liquid in the center of the platform, and off in the distance you could see the massive tower that dominated the landscape. And to his surprise, at the far end of the platform stood a Word Wall.

He slowly approached the Word Wall. As he drew near though, two Seekers materialized on either side of him, shedding their spells of invisibility. Reacting in the blink of an eye, Aeros dropped to the ground just as the two Daedra each unleashed a wave of energy. The twin attacks flew over him and instead hit the two Seekers, who shrieked in pain.

"Serves you right," Aeros said with a smirk. "My turn now."

In one motion, he jumped to his feet and outstretched both hands towards the Seekers. Darts of fire shot from his fingertips, striking the Daedra square in the chest and piercing their flesh, causing them let loose another unearthly shriek. Those shrieks only grew louder as the fire from the darts rapidly spread across their bodies until they were completely ablaze. The earsplitting din reached a crescendo, before being cut short, as the two Seekers were reduced to nothing but ash.

The fight over, Aeros resumed looking for a way forward, but found nothing. Frustrated, and with no better option, he turned his attention to the Word Wall, hoping it might offer him a hint. The Word Wall was unlike any of the others he had encountered, the dovah script mingling with daedric words and letters, and all of it flowing across the surface like water. Nonetheless, he was still able to decipher it and read the text. As he felt the knowledge and power of the word inscribed on the wall flow into him, he heard the sound of wingbeats and a roar, the sound rapidly growing closer.

Looking up, he saw the serpentine dragon that he had seen during his first encounter with Miraak. He grimaced. He had a way to Miraak now, but it wasn't one he liked.

As the dragon flew overhead, Aeros shouted, "GOL HAH DOV!" His Shout enveloped the dragon, and it shuddered as its effects took hold. It landed in front of his Aeros and bowed its head subserviently.

"Hail, thuri," the dov said. "Your Thu'um has the mastery. I am Sahrotaar. Climb aboard and I will carry you to Miraak."

Aeros grimaced, what he had just done leaving a bad taste in his mouth. _So this is all it takes to make a dragon your slave_, he thought bitterly. _Three simple words and that's it_. He respected the dov, despite his many and frequent battles against them, not to mention the fact that his own soul was that of a dragon. To see them so easily subjugated angered him.

But despite how he felt personally towards the matter, he did as Sahrotaar asked, and climbed onto the dragon's back. As soon as he was situated, Sahrotaar flapped his wings and lifted off of the ground, heading directly towards the tower where Miraak waited.

"Beware," Sahrotaar warned him as they soared through the air. "Miraak is strong. He knew you would come here."

"That's what I was counting on, Sahrotaar," Aeros said grimly.

* * *

\- Outside of Skaal Village -

Two more cultists charged Serana. Calling upon her dwindling pool of magicka, she froze one of them solid, while throwing her dagger towards the other. The dagger punched through the cultist's mask and buried itself in the woman's eye, killing her instantly. As Serana retrieved her dagger, she looked around and saw that those had been the last two.

She found Frea sitting nearby in the snow, and sat down next to her. "Is that the last of this group?" she asked tiredly. Frea nodded wearily.

"I think so," she said. "I just hope that we will have a little more of a breather before the next group arrives."

Serana nodded in agreement. The cultists had not let up in their assault, and had managed to push Frea, Serana, and the other Skaal back almost all the way to the village. The groups had varied in size, sometimes no more than a small handful, other times numbering more than two dozen. Through a variety of tricks and traps, Serana and the Skaal had managed to repel each group with a minimum of casualties. It wasn't the cultist's numbers themselves that were the issue though, although it was concerning in of itself just how many people worshipped Miraak. The real problem was the spacing between their attacks. Typically, by the time the Skaal had finished off one group, the next was almost upon them. As a result, everyone was nearing exhaustion, and they had been unable to heal even the most serious of wounds beyond the point of no longer being immediately life-threatening.

But despite their small numbers and the overwhelming odds they faced, the Skaal continued to fight with all their might and repel the attackers, only growing fiercer the closer they were pushed to the village and their homes. Serana couldn't help but admire their tenacity.

She continued to reflect on the desperate battle they were fighting, until she was abruptly broken out of her thoughts by Frea swearing, that fact alone immediately making her aware that something was amiss.

"What is it?" she asked. "What's wrong?"

"Take a look for yourself," Frea answered, pointing south of the village. Serana turned her gaze towards the direction she indicated and blinked, unsure of what she was seeing.

"What is that?" she asked. Gathering off in the distance and drawing closer was what looked like a giant snowstorm or blizzard. The only problem was that it was just barely autumn and instead of being white, the storm was a greyish-brown color instead.

"An ash storm," said Frea. "They are rare here on the island, but are much more common in Morrowind. Normally, such a thing would not be so bad. But when it hits us, we will barely be able to see more than a few feet in front of us."

"We won't be able to see the cultists," Serana said in realization. Frea nodded.

"Our only hope is that they will be just as blind as us. Either way, we can not give up just because of a mere storm."

Serana nodded in agreement. Their conversation was interrupted by a scout announcing the arrival of the next group.

* * *

\- Apocrypha -

They were drawing near the tower, and Aeros could clearly make out the features of the two dragons circling it. They roared in challenge at their approach, and Sahrotaar answered defiantly. It took only another minute until they arrived at the tower's summit. It was a wide platform, surrounded by a series of arches, and with a large pool of foul liquid in the center. And waiting for them was Miraak.

"Sahrotaar, find somewhere to land," Aeros asked as they circled the summit.

The great dovah dipped his head in acknowledgment. "As you command, thuri."

They landed on the far side of the platform from Miraak. As soon as they touched the ground, Aeros slid off of Sahrotaar's back. Miraak didn't move, but instead tilted his head questioningly.

"Sahrotaar, are you so easily swayed?" he asked. "After so many years in my service?" Sahrotaar snarled in response and made as if to attack Miraak, but Aeros rested a hand on his side and shook his head, bading him to wait. Sahrotaar reluctantly acquiesced

On either side side of Miraak, the two dragons landed on top of two stone arches, and roared at Aeros threateningly. Miraak help up his hand to stop them.

"No. Not yet," he said. "We should greet our guest first." The two dragons obeyed begrudgingly, ceasing their roars and instead settling for gazing intently at Aeros. Satisfied that they would obey his command, Miraak turned his attention back to Aeros.

"And here you are," he said mockingly, "just as I asked. How very kind of you. Tell me, Aeros, how did it feel knowingly trading a man's life for the final Word of Power? I wonder what kind of monster that shaman's daughter must see you as now." Aeros ground his teeth but did not answer. Miraak chuckled in amusement before continuing.

"And so the First Dragonborn meets the Last Dragonborn at the summit of Apocrypha," he said grandly. "No doubt just as Hermaeus Mora intended. He is a fickle master, you know. But now I will be free of him. My time in Apocrypha is over. You are here in your full power, and thus subject to my full power. But it matters not if you are stronger than you were before. You will die. And with the power of your soul, I will return to Solstheim and be master of my own fate once again.

He saw the look of sickening realization on Aeros's face. "Yes, that is right," he said in amusement. "As Dragonborns, we possess the souls of dragons. So why should our death at the hands of another Dragonborn be any different than when we kill a dragon?"

Aeros shook himself free of his shock at Miraak's revelation. He drew his swords as he glared at Miraak.

"Are you done yet?" he demanded. "Or would you like to gloat some more and reveal more of your 'master plan?' Because,I have to admit, you're quite the master at grandstanding and posturing. No wonder you have your own cult. But that doesn't mean I have to stand here and listen to any more of your drivel."

Miraak stared at Aeros silently for several moments, his thoughts hidden behind his mask. "Hermaeus Mora is laughing at us, you know," he said suddenly. "Pitting us against each other to see which is more worthy of being his champion, all the while watching on in sick amusement. But you are right, the time for grandstanding is long past."

Miraak drew his own blade, and Aeros stared at it cautiously. It wasn't a blade from Nirn, that was one thing he was sure of. It was a single-edged sword, the entire weapon stained a sickening green color. The blade itself curved slightly before tapering off to a razor sharp point. Completing its utterly alien appearance was a mass of writhing tendrils wrapped around the hilt, serving as a makeshift guard. To Aeros's eyes, the blade reeked of Apocrypha and Hermaeus Mora's influence.

"Kruziikrel! Relonikiv! Now!" Miraak yelled as he charged forward suddenly, catching Aeros by surprise. At his command, the two dragons flanking him lifted off into the air with a roar, and circled overhead, waiting for their chance to crush the arrogant joor who dared challenge their master. As they rose into the air, Sahrotaar chased after them, letting out a deafening roar. The two dovah wheeled around at the challenge, and the three collided in a maelstrom of claws and teeth. But despite being outnumbered, Sahrotaar was able to hold his own, his larger size and greater experience in battle serving to his advantage as he kept his opponents at bay. While the battle in the sky raged on, a different but even more fierce battle was being fought below them, as the two Dragonborns clashed.

Aeros was surprised by Miraak's skill with a blade. Based off of his initial encounter with him, he had expected Miraak to be similar to the ancient Dragon Priests he had fought before, preferring to use magic over the sword. But Miraak skillfully and effortlessly wielded his blade, moving fluidly and connecting various attacks together so as to keep Aeros on the defensive. As he continued to parry and counter the other Dragonborn's attacks, Aeros couldn't help but be reminded of his fight against Harkon. While Miraak did not have the supernatural strength of the vampire lord, he was easily Harkon's equal in terms of ferocity.

Distracted by these thoughts, Aeros attention wavered, and Miraak's blade was able to slip past his guard and slice open the exposed flesh of his left forearm. Growling in pain and irritation, Aeros decided that he had been on the defensive long enough.

As Miraak swung his blade downwards again, Aeros skillfully dodged the blow. Caught off guard by the sudden lack of resistance, Miraak stumbled slightly. Realizing that he was exposed like this, he lashed out, his blade sweeping across the space in front of him. Aeros rolled under the blow, delivering a slash to Miraak's unprotected flank as he rolled to his feet.

Miraak swore as he looked down at the tear in his robes. Already he could see blood starting to stain the fabric. He was surprised at how agile Aeros was in his dragonplate armor. He had expected the weight of it to slow the man down, but he moved as if it weighed absolutely nothing.

He smirked behind his mask. It didn't matter how fast or strong the young Dragonborn was, in the end he would still kill him and escape this place.

The two clashed together again, this time both of them on the offensive. As their swords clashed together again and again though, Miraak found himself surprised and, although he wouldn't admit it even to himself, worried. He had initially taken Aeros for some upstart who had managed to kill Alduin purely by luck, but now he realized how wrong he had been. The young warrior more than possessed the skill and power necessary to have defeated the World-Eater.

He grunted as he intercepted another blow. In fact, Aeros was easily the most skilled swordsman he had met, and his attacks were even heavier than Miraak would have expected, the beast blood that flowed through his veins only strengthening his blows.

Seeking to put an end to things, Aeros struck with the blade in his right hand. Miraak again blocked the attack, but staggered at the strength of it. Before he could recover, Aeros attacked with the blade in his left hand, putting all of his strength behind the blow. Miraak managed to bring his sword back up in time to block the attack, but his sword was blown to the side by the heavier weight of Aeros's sword, leaving him wide open. The blade slashed diagonally across Miraak's chest, its enchantment blazing brightly as it burned the flesh it cut. Reeling backwards from the pain, Miraak failed to notice the second blade now coming back around.

The enchanted blade stabbed him through the stomach, and he gasped in pain and shock at the freezing temperature of the blade. He collapsed to his knees, but as Aeros tried to finish him off, he choked out, "FEIM ZII GRON!" His body faded, and Aeros's blade passed harmlessly through him. Regaining some of his strength, he shouted again, "WULD NAH KEST!" and disappeared.

Aeros looked around him warily, not sure if Miraak had run away or was simply hiding. His question was answered when Miraak reappeared in the center of the pool of oily liquid, clutching at his stomach in an attempt to stem the flow of blood.

"Kruziikrel!" he shouted. One of the dragons circling overhead broke off its fight with Sahrotaar and landed on the platform with a thud. Its scales were a mixture of bright red and orange, with flecks of black, resembling the color of magma. Its intelligent eyes fixed on Aeros, and it roared at him threatening. He could see the small flickering flames building in the back of its throat, as it prepared to unleash its Thu'um, and prepared himself to roll out of the way of the oncoming inferno. But it never came. Instead, something that Aeros never could have predicted happened, something that he had not even thought possible.

"Kruziikrel, zii los dii du!" Miraak shouted. His Thu'um enveloped the fiery-scaled dragon, and it shuddered, as its mind resisted Miraak's Thu'um. In the end though, it lost the battle of wills, and before Aeros's eyes, Kruziikrel's soul was ripped from its body, its flesh and scales rapidly burning away as it was reduced to nothing more than a skeleton. The molten energy surrounded Miraak, before being absorbed. As it was, the long gash across Miraak's chest and the wound in his stomach stopped bleeding and slowly closed, leaving no sign that they had ever been there. Miraak straightened, his strength even greater than before.

"It was foolish of you to think to challenge me, Dragonborn!" Miraak declared triumphantly, unleashing the thunderbolt that he had prepared unnoticed by Aeros in his free hand. Still stunned by what he had just witnessed, the sudden attack caught Aeros off-guard, and he was slow to react. He twisted in an effort to avoid the bolt of lightning, but the spell still caught him in the left shoulder. Gasping in pain, he fell to a knee, clutching at his shoulder as the entire left side of his body went numb from the spell's effects.

He looked up just in time to see Miraak's blade descending towards him. With almost no time to react, he did the only thing he could, and cast a spell a split second before the blow landed.

Miraak's sword struck Aeros on the exposed part of his neck, but to Miraak's astonishment, the blade did not cleave through flesh and bone and end the young man's life, as he had expected. Instead, an unpleasant jolt ran through the blade and into his hand, as if he had just struck solid stone or metal. He swore and hurriedly stepped back, rubbing his wrist. As Aeros regained his feet, Miraak saw a shiny black tint resembling the color of ebony fading from his skin, leaving only a small nick where the edge of Miraak's sword had struck.

"Clever," he admitted begrudgingly. "Using an alteration spell at the last second to to turn my blow aside. Although I'm surprised that you chose to end the spell instead of maintaining it.

Aeros shrugged. "If I had, you would have just found a way to counter it. Besides, I'm not much of an expert in alteration magic; my specialties lie in the schools of restoration and destruction magic. If I had maintained the spell, I would have wound up wasting more magicka than necessary, so it was easier to simply dispel it than to risk draining myself more than I need to.

"You're turning out to be quite the tactician, young Dovahkiin," Miraak said in amusement. "It's a shame it won't help you survive this fight. Fate has decreed that you must die so that I may escape this place."

Aeros picked up his sword from where it had fallen after slipping from his numbed fingers. He shook his head. "I don't care what fate has decreed. No matter what stands in my way, be it fate, you, Hermaeus Mora, or the gods themselves, I won't let it stop me. I made a promise to Serana, and I will do whatever it takes to keep it, even if I have to tear apart the entire Aurbis around me to do so!"

"WULD NAH KEST!" he shouted, flying towards Miraak in a blur. Miraak hurriedly brought his sword up, and their blades clashed in a flurry of sparks. The speed and strength granted to Aeros by his Thu'um was so great that he actually shoved Miraak back several feet, and the First Dragonborn had to strain to prevent himself from being overwhelmed.

With a growl, Aeros pressed his advantage, refusing to allow Miraak the chance to recover. He had held back from using his Thu'um before, out of fear that Miraak would counter him with his own Voice, but now he was done playing by Miraak's rules, and letting him set the pace. "SU GRAH DUN!" he shouted again. Gusts of wind enveloped both of his swords, wrapping around the blades and intertwining with the fire and frost enchantments. Shoving Miraak back, he swung both swords crosswise, intending to slash Miraak across the chest. Both blades moved in a blur, almost faster than the eye could follow. Slicing through Miraak's robes, they sliced across his chest in a spray of blood, biting deep into his flesh.

Miraak snarled at the pain of the razor-edged blades tearing into him. Ignoring the blood now pouring from the cuts, he growled in fury. He refused to allow himself to be bested by some upstart Dragonborn who refused to follow his instincts and dominate those around him!"

"MUL QAH DIIV!" he roared. As his Thu'um shook the air, he was cloaked in ethereal draconic armor that looked as if it had been shaped out of fire. "VEN GAAR NOS!" he shouted again, before Aeros could react. A cyclone of gigantic proportions enveloped them both, and Aeros was sent flying as a wall of wind slammed into him. He smashed into the top of one of the platform's stone arches, twenty feet off the ground. The stone behind him cracked from the impact, and he hung there for a moment before plummeting to the ground below. He tried to stand, and was forced to bite back a gasp as searing pain shot through his body. At least four of his ribs had broken from the impact, and his right shoulder was dislocated. In addition, his right foot had broken, and he was unable to put any weight on it. If it wasn't for the enhanced durability granted to him by his beast blood, he doubted that he would have been even survived such an impact. Realizing that his helmet had cracked, and was barely managing to hold together, he tore it off his head and tossed it aside. He might have lost some protection with the loss of his helm, but at least now his field of vision was unrestricted. Miraculously, he had somehow kept ahold of his swords.

There was a loud piercing cry, followed by a triumphant roar from Sahrotaar, as with an impact that shook the entire tower, Miraak's remaining dragon, Relonikiv, crashed into the tower's side. The platform shuddered, and cracks ran through the stone surface. As Relonikiv struggled to take off again, part of the platform broke loose and fell, plunging towards the oily sea far below.

Aeros was knocked to the ground from the force of the impact, and as he struggled to his knees once more, he saw Miraak approaching him, unfazed by either his Shout or his dragon crashing against the side of the tower. Aeros tried to stand, but his leg gave out under him, and he fell to one knee. Looking up, he saw that Miraak was about to strike, his blade raised overhead in preparation for a powerful blow that no alteration spell would stop. And so, unable to try and heal his injuries or cast a powerful enough spell in time, as Miraak's twisted sword descended towards him, Aeros called upon a power not his own.

A fierce winter storm suddenly sprang into being around him, the powerful winds sending Miraak staggering back. Making use of what time he had just bought for himself, Aeros hurriedly cast a restoration spell, healing his broken foot and ribs just enough so that he could stand. Gritting his teeth, he shoved his dislocated shoulder back into place, biting back a yell. His vision flickered, but he managed to keep consciousness through sheer force of will.

A bolt of lightning struck the edge of the storm, but could not pass through the fierce winds. As the howling wind began to subside, Aeros could see Miraak waiting beyond the storm's edge.

"YOL TOOR SHUL!" the Dragon Priest shouted suddenly, his Thu'um blazing through the last of the storm.

"FO KRAH DIIN!" Aeros shouted a moment later. The two forces of frost and fire collided explosively, but the struggle didn't last for long. Fueled by the strength granted to him by the fiery draconic armor, Miraak's Shout overwhelmed Aeros's. Sensing the danger just in time, Aeros threw himself out of the way a moment before the blazing inferno consumed the space in which he had just been standing.

"What was that just now?" Miraak asked as Aeros rolled to his feet. "I did not sense you using the Voice, nor did you have enough time to build up the magicka for a spell like that."

Aeros smirked. "A gift from the All-Maker," he replied. "For freeing the Stones of Solstheim from your influence."

"So even the Skaal's pathetic god seeks to hinder me," Miraak sneered. "Unfortunately for the Skaal, such paltry blessings won't be enough to stop me. WULD!"

As he shouted, Miraak closed the distance between them in the blink of an eye. Blocking the strike from Miraak's sword, Aeros failed to notice his fist until it smashed into his gut. As he doubled over, Miraak smashed his knee into his face. He felt the cartilage in his nose break in a fountain of blood as his head snapped back. Stumbling backwards, he saw Miraak swinging his sword towards him and belatedly brought his own swords up to parry. He caught the blade on the outside edge of the sword in his left hand. That should have been the end of it, but somehow, the blade _stretched_, as if it had a mind of its own. The razor sharp tip cut open a bloody gash just above his left eye, and likely would have taken the eye itself if he hadn't jerked his head back. He swore loudly as blood dripped into his eye. He should have known that there was something unnatural about Miraak's sword, based off of its appearance alone.

Putting all of his strength behind the blow, Miraak's fist smashed into Aeros's chest. Aeros was blown away as several of the bone plates of his armor shattered, as well as even more of his ribs. Landing hard on his back, he had to struggle to breath. He rolled to the side just in time, as Miraak's blade stabbed into the stone where his head had been.

"FUS RO!" he shouted from the ground, sending Miraak staggering back a few steps as he lunged for where his swords had fallen. Grabbing the hilt of the nearest one, he came out of his roll with it held in front of him. It was fortunate that he did so, as Miraak's blade slashed at his neck only to be intercepted by his blade. Aeros strained to keep his sword in front of him, but cloaked as he was in that ethereal armor, Miraak's strength was beyond that of mortal men, and Aeros's arm was sent wide, leaving his guard wide open. Miraak's sword struck like a viper, biting deep into Aeros's side. Gasping in pain, he left the blade buried in his side and grabbed a hold of Miraak's wrist in an effort to prevent him from drawing his blade free for another attack.

Miraak laughed in cruel amusement, as his boot connected with Aeros's knee with a sickening crunch. Aeros collapsed to one knee as his leg gave out under him. He felt the cold fingers of doubt start to creep into his heart. Despite his best efforts, events were now unfolding exactly as they had when he and Miraak had first met. _Is there really that much difference in our power?_ he thought bleakly. Maybe Miraak was right, and it was his fate to fall here.

But as he began to fall into despair, his promise to Serana echoed in his mind. _I promise I'll make it back, no matter what._ And he remembered another promise he had made, long ago. The flickering embers of his resolve roared back to life, even greater than before.

Miraak laughed at the battered and broken young Dragonborn before him. "What's wrong, Dovahkiin?" he mocked. "Have you finally realized the futility of resisting your fate?" His head bowed and his expression hidden, Aeros said something inaudible. "What was that?" Miraak sneered. "I'm afraid you'll have to speak up a little louder if you want anyone to hear your last words."

Aeros's head snapped up, and he glared at Miraak, his eyes blazing. "I said I don't give a damn about fate! I've broken one too many promises before, and I refuse to die and break this one! MUL QAH DIIV!"

His Thu'um shook all of Apocrypha, a testament to his will. Multicolored fire swirled around him like a shroud, before resolving into a set of fiery, ethereal armor that blazed even brighter than Miraak's, and seemed to reveal the draconic nature of his soul, his appearance now that of a dragon given human form.

Miraak hurriedly retreated as Aeros used the ancient Shout, Dragon Aspect. Ignoring the pain of his shattered ribs and leg, Aeros slowly stood, hands wrapped tightly around the hilts of his swords, their enchantments blazing brightly in response to their master's will and the power surging through him. He glared at Miraak, his eyes now glowing orbs of fire.

"So, you use my own Shout against me," Miraak noted, with a hint of admiration. "You learn quickly. Now let us see once and for all who is truly worthy of the name 'Dovahkiin.'"

Aeros didn't answer immediately. Instead, he lifted his head towards the sky, and spoke a Shout that he had sworn to never use again. "STRUN BAH QO!" he roared. His Shout echoed through the air like a thunderclap. Up above, the sickening sky of Apocrypha twisted and roiled, bending to his will as huge black storm clouds stretched ominously across its surface, centered around the tower upon which they stood. The winds began to howl as thunder shook the air, followed shortly by stinging drops of rain. Sahrotaar and Relonikiv, still battling in the skies overhead, roared as they battled the winds, having to struggle to stay aloft. The first bolts of lightning began to fall, striking all around the two Dragonborn. As the storm began in earnest, Aeros spoke. "You wanted a fitting challenge, Miraak?" he shouted as the winds howled and whipped around them. "Well, here it is!" Bracing himself, he took a deep breath. Realizing what he was about to do, Miraak followed suit. Sensing the incredible build up of power, Sahrotaar and Relonikiv roared as they wheeled away from the tower.

Two Voices shouted simultaneously. "FUS RO DAH!"

* * *

\- Solstheim -

Serana panted as the now lifeless cultist fell to the ground. She cautiously looked around her, but all she saw was an ever-shifting grey wall of ash that stung her eyes. Just as Frea had predicted, the ash storm had rolled over them, making it all but impossible to see other the other combatants, or anything else for that matter. Still, neither side relented, continuing to fight in small pockets within the storm, and she could still hear weapons clashing amongst the swirling ash.

Hearing a noise, Serana whirled, her fangs bared in a snarl. She relaxed when she saw it was Frea. The Skaal warrior looked even more haggard than earlier, and near exhaustion. Her armor was dented in multiple places, and there were several patches of dried blood from where a cultist's weapon had slipped through her guard As she walked towards Serana, there was a noticeable limp to her step. _She looks like hell_, Serana thought. She looked down at herself. _Then again, I don't look much better_. Serana's own dagger was chipped and dulled, and her clothes had several new tears and holes in them. She had managed to avoid any serious injuries thanks to her supernatural reflexes, but she had still collected a number of smaller cuts and bruises during the many battles. They weren't enough to bother the healers with, not that they would have been able to do anything for her anyways, but the injuries still took their toll.

"How long have we been fighting now?" Frea asked wearily. "Just how much blood has been shed today?"

Serana shook her head helplessly. "I don't know," she said in answer to both questions. "I've lost all track of time in the middle of this ash storm, and we can't see more than a few feet around us." She laughed hollowly. "What I wouldn't give for Aeros and his Thu'um right now; he could clear this storm with a single Shout."

As if the gods themselves had heard her, there was a shift in the storm around them; it grew brighter overhead, and the stinging ash-filled winds began to lessen. Serana and Frea glanced up in surprise as the sun began to shine through the cloud of ash. As the storm lessened, it revealed what lay ahead of them, and both Frea and Serana felt the cold weight of dread settle in their stomachs.

Just appearing over the rise was over three dozen cultists, all armed for battle. Serana noticed the elaborate trimmings and motifs on some of the cultists' robes, and the elaborately carved staffs they carried. _Looks like the higher ups have finally shown their faces. And from the look of things, they must have brought every last member of Miraak's cult that's still alive_, Serana thought grimly, but the thought brought little comfort. Several of the Skaal, including Fanari, were in no condition to fight, and those who were still standing were nearing exhaustion. In comparison, the cultists were still fresh, and still had full magicka reserves. That did not bode well for the Skaal.

Serana glanced over at Frea, and saw that despite her exhaustion, Frea had a determined expression as she stared down the cultists. All around them, the Skaal who could still fight bore similar expressions. They were not about to give up now, not with their backs practically against the walls of their homes, even if it cost them their lives. Serana smiled grimly as she likewise prepared herself for one last charge.

With a roar, the two sides collided. Serana quickly lost sight of Frea in the chaos, as she whirled and slashed at the enemy around her. As she cut down one cultist, two more closed in on her. Reaching out with her magic, she raised the corpse of the man she had just cut down and set it against them. Being forced to face the reanimated body of what was once their ally, the two cultists panicked. Sensing her opening, Serana darted into the space between them. She stabbed one of them through the throat with her dagger, while slamming her palm against the other's chest, and sending a surge of electricity directly through his heart.

Sensing a flicker of movement out of the corner of her eye, Serana rolled out of the way just in time, as a battleaxe practically cleaved the resurrected cultist in two. With a gasp, the cultist disintegrated into a pile of ash. Looking up, she found herself facing a fearsome looking Orsimer cultist. Unlike his brethren, this orc had foregone the mask and robes of Miraak's cult, choosing instead to wear the heavy-plated armor of his kind, and wielded a nasty looking battleaxe. He grinned savagely at her as he swung his weapon effortlessly.

She jumped back out of the way to avoid the broad, horizontal sweep of his axe. As she jumped back though, she tripped over a body behind her and fell to the ground. The orc grinned triumphantly as he hefted his weapon, gripping it with both hands as he raised it high overhead.

"For Granskog!" a voice shouted suddenly, and the orc jerked as a Nordic greatsword sprouted from his chest. He grasped helplessly at it, before his knees buckled and he collapsed. As he fell, she saw a steel-plated Nord with a greying beard standing in his place. He grinned at her before sprinting away to find his next opponent. Serana watched him go in shock.

"Serana!" cried Frea. "Are you okay?" Serana nodded, and Frea helped her to her feet. Looking around her, she saw that almost two dozen Nord warriors that she did not recognise had joined the fray.

"Where did all of these warriors come from?" she questioned. Frea smiled widely at her question, revitalized by the appearance of the mysterious warriors.

"They are warriors from the other islands!" she answered. "As soon as they got our message, warriors from Granskog and the rest of the archipelago immediately set sail for Solstheim. It would appear that they arrived just in time!"

Serana saw that she was right. Only moments ago, the Skaal had been fighting what had seemed like a losing battle. Now, with the arrival of allies, they were pushing back the cultists. Unprepared for such a reversal, the cultists rapidly backpedaled as they tried to group back together. Several of those in the back began muttering to themselves as they prepared high-level destruction spells. But the older Nord warrior who had saved Serana earlier pointed with his greatsword and shouted a command. A hail of arrows flew through the air and struck the spellcasters, killing several of them and breaking the others' concentration.

"Shall we join them for one last charge, and put an end to these cultists?" Frea asked Serana. Serana grinned in reply.

"Of course," she replied. "And once this is all over, we can join them for a nice, big victory feast. One with lots of sweet rolls."

Frea chuckled at her friend's answer. "Very well. Although, we will have to wait for the guest of honor to finish his battle first before we celebrate."

Any further conversation was cut short by the deafening sound of dozens of voices being raised in war cries as the Skaal and their allies charged forward. Frea and Serana charged with them, happy to finally put an end to this pointless bloodshed once and for all.

* * *

\- Apocrypha -

An explosive shockwave rocked the tower as the two Thu'ums collided, destroying several of the stone arches that ringed the platform, and sending Aeros and Miraak flying to opposite ends of the platform. Aeros crashed against the shattered base of one of the arches, and felt what was left of his armor creak in protest. Coughing, he stubbornly climbed to his feet. On the other side of the platform, he could see Miraak doing the same. With a growl, he charged towards Miraak.

"YOL TOOR SHUL!" he shouted as he ran. His Thu'um transformed into an all-consuming inferno, the flames so intense that they burned white at the edges. Using the wall of fire bearing down on Miraak as a distraction, Aeros swung far out to the right, towards Miraak's unprotected flank.

"FO KRAH DIIN!" Miraak shouted as Aeros's Shout approached. Fire collided with ice violently, as the two opposing elements sought to overwhelm each other. This time, however, it was Aeros's Thu'um that triumphed over Miraak's, and the First Dragonborn just barely managed to form a ward a moment before the flames washed over him. Caught off guard by the sudden turnaround, he failed to notice the dragonbone sword darting towards his side until it was too late. He tried to jump out of the way, but failed, and was sent staggering back as the tip of the blade bit into his side, striking almost all the way to the bone.

Aeros himself was astonished at the power now coursing through his veins. It was a heady feeling, as if he truly was a dragon in mortal form. But he refused to allow such emotions to consume him; if he did, he would be no better than Miraak. He lunged forward, seeking to stab Miraak through the heart.

Just before his blade hit its mark though, Miraak disappeared in a flash of green light, reappearing on the other side of the platform. Aeros growled in irritation. _I really hate teleportation magic_, he thought to himself. He glared at Miraak, knowing that the man would likely pull the same stunt or use his Shout to become intangible if he got too close.

As if sensing his rage, there was a loud crack from overhead, as a bolt of lightning struck. Miraak brought his hand up and formed a ward, attempting to deflect the bolt. There was a resounding crash and flash of light as the bolt of pure energy crashed against the ward, blinding Aeros momentarily, although he thought he heard Miraak yell out in pain. When he could see again, he saw that Miraak had only been partially successful at warding off the lightning bolt. He had protected himself from the worst of it, but the skin of his left arm, from his fingertips all the way to his elbow, was now cracked and blackened, and there was the sickening smell of burnt flesh in the air. The only reason the damage wasn't worse was because of the ward that he had cast, and the ethereal armor that cloaked him.

"Relonikiv!" Miraak shouted, clutching at his injured arm. Ducking underneath Sahrotaar's claws, the blue and white scaled dragon dove towards the tower's summit, landing next to Miraak. Snarling at Aeros, the dovah opened his maw and unleashed a freezing blizzard towards him. Not having enough time to properly form a ward, Aeros threw up an arm in an attempt to shield his face as the biting cold enveloped him. The blast of frost was unbearably cold, enough to kill any normal man, and him as well if it hadn't been for the heavy enchantments of his armor, and the increased resistance to cold that his Nordic heritage and beast blood granted him.

Through the blinding frost, he heard Miraak say, "Relonikiv, zii los dii du!" The wave of cold abruptly ceased, and Aeros could see Miraak's injured hand resting on Relonikiv's scales. The dovah shuddered, and its flesh and scales began to burn away as it slumped to the ground lifeless, its soul ripped from its body. The swirling vortex of energy that was the dragon's soul traveled up Miraak's arm, and in its wake the burnt flesh disappeared, leaving new, pink skin in its place. Soon, the only sign of the horrendous injury was the burnt and tattered sleeve of Miraak's robes. As the final traces of Relonikiv's soul were absorbed, Miraak's ghostly armor flared brightly as his strength increased once more.

"Shall we continue, Dragonborn?" he asked confidently, assured in his own strength. Aeros didn't bother replying, preferring to let his actions speak for him now. He dashed towards Miraak, swords held at the ready. Miraak did not move though as he approached, instead waiting patiently. When Aeros was almost upon him, he shouted.

"GOL HAH DOV!" Aeros stumbled as the multicolored swirl of energy enveloped him. He could feel _something _clawing at his mind, at his will, whispering insidiously for him to submit, to surrender to Miraak. But whether through his own force of will, or through his knowledge of the Bend Will Shout, the whispers did not find purchase, and he shook them free. His inattention only lasted a moment, but a moment was all Miraak needed. Something struck Aeros in the chest, pushing him back, as Miraak's whip-like sword snaked through the air and ripped the sword from his right hand. He heard the blade land with a clatter somewhere off to the side, but he did not dare turn to look for it.

He quickly retreated a few paces, putting himself out of the reach of even Miraak's sword. Eyeing Miraak warily, he saw that while he still held his sword in his right hand, in his previously empty left hand was a staff. Aeros hadn't seen where he had gotten it from, but that was unimportant. Like Miraak's sword, the staff reflected Apocrypha in its appearance, resembling several large tendrils or tentacles twisted together. And based off of his experience with Miraak's sword, this staff likely held a nasty surprise as well.

Aeros cautiously held his sword out in front of him. It had been a long time since he had fought with only a single sword, but the proper techniques came back to him quickly, his muscles remembering long forgotten movements and motions. _I suppose it's a good thing I never was the kind of warrior to use a shield_, he thought wryly. Warriors who preferred using a shield, while they typically boasted a superior defense, when forced to fight without one, they often had large openings in their guard as a result of being used to having something to protect their non-dominant side. By comparison, warriors like Aeros, who preferred to use either a single or dual weapons, lacked the total defense of their companions, but were used to having to block and parry attacks from all sides without the use of a shield. So while he was still at a disadvantage fighting with only a single sword instead of his usual two, the situation wasn't as bad as it could be, and also allowed Aeros to make greater use of his repertoire of spells.

Miraak, it seemed, had grown impatient of waiting for Aeros to come to him. He lunged forward, his sword and staff spinning around him. Gripping his sword in his left hand, while letting his right hand dangle at his side, Aeros parried and countered the attacks from both weapons, his sword carving elegant patterns around him. Infuriated at the ease in which the young Dragonborn continued to fend him off, as if he was still holding back, Miraak let out a wordless roar as he thrust his staff towards Aeros. From the end of the staff shot a mass of tentacles and black, acidic bile. Aeros quickly jumped out of the way, not wanting to risk any of the bile or tendrils touching him. The stone floor hissed and bubbled as the bile began eating away at it.

"What's wrong, _Dragons-Bane_?" Miraak mocked. "Has the loss of one of your swords so unnerved you that you cannot even go on the offensive anymore?"

Aeros grinned savagely. "No," he replied. "I was just buying time to finish laying down the runes."

"Runes?" Miraak repeated in confusion. He looked down and his eyes widened behind his mask as he saw that he was now ringed by multiple rings of destruction runes. He looked back up at Aeros and saw him raise the hand that had been dangling at his side, magicka sparking between his fingertips. Aeros snapped his fingers, and the runes exploded, engulfing Miraak in a maelstrom of fire, frost, and shock magic.

When the smoke cleared, Miraak was still somehow standing, although he hadn't escaped completely unharmed. His robes were now tattered and singed, and blood dripped from several fresh injuries.

"Damn," Aeros muttered. Maintaining so many runes at once had taken a lot of concentration and magicka, and the effort had left him feeling drained. It would take him a few moments to recover. But Miraak, it seemed, was not going to allow him to catch his breath.

"WULD!" Miraak barked. Covering the distance between them almost instantaneously, he swung both weapons. Aeros blocked his sword with his own, but was helpless as Miraak's staff slammed into his midsection, sending him staggering back and knocking the wind out of him.

He looked up just in time to see Miraak preparing to swing his sword downwards. As the sword began its downward arc though, there was a loud thunderclap, and a bolt of lightning struck the space in between them, the raw power of the bolt throwing both Aeros and Miraak off their feet and showering them in stone fragments, as well as temporarily blinding them.

Aeros groaned as he climbed to his feet. The bolt of lightning had sent him flying almost to the edge of the platform, and his body ached from where it had impacted against the stone arch that had stopped his flight. _Now I remember why I never use that Shout_, he thought wryly. _There's no telling how nature will react once you unleash Her fury_. As his vision cleared, he saw the smoking crater where the lightning bolt had struck, and remembered just how close Miraak had been to killing him. _Thank you, Lady Kyne_, he thought, offering up a prayer of thanks to the Nordic goddess of storms. Across the platform, he could see Miraak also struggling to his feet. He still held onto his sword, but it seemed that he had lost his staff somewhere; perhaps it had been caught in the blast, or had fallen into the sea below.

There was a vengeful roar overhead, and both Aeros and Miraak looked up. Sahrotaar, who had miraculously remained unharmed by the fearsome storm, was now diving headlong at Miraak.

"Thuri!" he roared to Aeros. "I thank you for freeing me from Miraak's grip. Now I will finish him off in nahkriin for my fellow dovah!"

"Sahrotaar, no!" Aeros cried. "Get away from him!"

But Sahrotaar did not heed his warning, continuing to speed towards Miraak. Miraak seemed unperturbed by the dragon flying towards him. "I always knew you were weak-minded, Sahrotaar," he sneered. "Now join the Last Dragonborn in his destruction! Sahrotaar, zii los dii du!"

The great serpentine dovah shuddered as Miraak's Shout hit him. His scales and flesh began to burn away, as his wings failed to support him any longer. Sahrotaar plummeted from the sky, crashing into the tower in the space between Aeros and Miraak with an impact that shook the entire tower. As the last of his flesh burned away, leaving only his bones, Sahrotaar's soul swirled about his remains momentarily before sweeping towards Miraak.

Aeros gritted his teeth at the death of the great dovah. "Ruth hi, Miraak," he growled. "Faal zii do vorey los ni hin wah immar!" The ground shook as, in his anger, he inadvertently slipped into dovahzul, the language of the dragons.

The soul of Sahrotaar stopped, swirling uncertainly in the space between the two of them, and refusing to budge no matter how much Miraak exerted his will. Then, defying the command of Miraak's Thu'um, the vortex of energy reversed direction, encircling Aeros briefly before being absorbed by his own soul. The surge of energy he felt filled him with new strength, quieting some of the protests of his overtaxed muscles and aching body, and bringing welcome relief to his throat, which felt almost raw from such frequent use of his Thu'um. He had never used the Thu'um so much in one battle, not even against Alduin or Harkon.

Miraak stared in disbelief. Something similar had occurred in the aftermath of Krosulhah's death, when the soul of the dragon had been torn between the wills of the two Dragonborns. Miraak had barely won the contest of wills then, but now he found that he had completely lost to Aeros's will. This whelp, this pathetic excuse of a Dragonborn who only days earlier Miraak had left broken and barely alive on the floor, had somehow become so powerful that his will had actually allowed Sahrotaar's soul to _defy _Miraak's Thu'um.

Miraak growled deep in his throat. "No, I will now allow a whelp like you to surpass me!" he snarled, enraged. "I am the only one worthy of the title 'Dovahkiin!'"

"Quit acting so damn smug hiding behind that mask!" Aeros growled in return, fed up with Miraak's seemingly endless arrogance.

The two of them spoke at the same time, the same Shout emerging from two different throats. "WULD NAH KEST!" They flew across the platform towards each other in a blur, moving faster than even the wind as they collided in the center of the tower's summit. Their blades met in the space between them with a shower of sparks, and both blades creaked in protest at the incredible strain being put on them. As neither of them was able to gain the upper hand, Aeros lashed out with his free hand. Bolstered by the Dragon Aspect that still clung to him, his fist struck Miraak's mask. Cracks spiderwebbed across the golden surface, and fragments of it broke away, but miraculously, the mask did not completely shatter. But at the same moment, Aeros struck, so did Miraak, his fist coming up from underneath to smash against Aeros's chest. The supernaturally strong blow shattered the final remnants of Aeros's armor, as well as what few unbroken ribs he had left.

As the wind was knocked out of him, Aeros drew upon the little bit of magicka he had left, focusing it in his free hand. With a twist of his wrist, he conjured a Daedric dagger, and sunk it to the hilt in Miraak's shoulder. Roaring in pain and anger, Miraak seized his outstretched arm and tightened his grip, crushing the bones in Aeros's arm. Aeros yelled as he heard a sickening snap.

"FUS RO!" he shouted, the force of his Shout enough to get Miraak to release his grip and stumble back a few steps. His arm hung uselessly at his side as the two of them glared at each other. Miraak reached up and pulled the ghostly dagger out of his shoulder, gritting his teeth as the serrated edge tore at his flesh.

They glared at each other for several long moments, before Miraak suddenly began to laugh. "Just what do you find so amusing?" Aeros demanded.

"It would seem that your friends have succeeded in defeating my followers," Miraak replied. "I'll admit my disappointment in my disciples. I had hoped that they would be able to finally rid Solstheim of the accursed Skaal, but it seems I overestimated their abilities."

Aeros smirked. "That's what you get for underestimating Frea and Serana," he said, hiding his relief that Frea and Serana had succeeded.

"Perhaps," Miraak conceded. "But how ironic it is that as they celebrate their victory, I achieve mine. KRII LUN AUS!"

Aeros staggered as his strength began to ebb away. What felt like a vise began to squeeze around his heart, and a deathly chill began creeping up his limbs. It felt as if death itself had marked him, heralding his doom. Miraak laughed as he saw his Shout taking effect and Aeros begin to weaken. Easily batting aside Aeros's feeble attempt to defend himself, he mercilessly plunged his sword into his stomach.

Aeros gasped in pain as Miraak ran him through, the foul metal of his blade burning like acid. The frantic sound of his heartbeat thundered in his ears, and the ethereal armor cloaking him flickered as he felt his life force begin to slip away. He refused to give in so easily though, and his grip on the hilt of his sword tightened as he lifted his head to glare defiantly.

Behind his mask, Miraak's eyes widened in disbelief. Aeros's injuries were enough to kill or incapacitate any normal man, and the pain alone should have been unbearable. Even now, Aeros could barely stand, and had to struggle to draw breath. And yet despite all that, the stubborn fool refused to give up. "HOW?!" Miraak screamed in fury, although there was a touch of fear in his voice as well. "How can you possibly still find the strength to stand? Why won't you just die?!"

Aeros cracked a pained grin. "I guess I'm just too stubborn. And like I said, I've got a promise to keep. I'm not about to break it by dying." With the last of his strength, he lunged forward with a yell and plunged his blade into Miraak's chest, running him through.

Choking on his own blood, Miraak staggered backwards. His concentration broken, the force that had held Aeros's heart in a stranglehold vanished, and his mind cleared. Still, his strength was gone and it was all he could do to remain standing.

Miraak ripped Aeros's blade free, and a golden glow filled his hand as he held it against the gaping wound, trying to stem the flow of blood. For any lesser man, the wound would have been a fatal one if not treated immediately. Aeros could only hope that the same held true for Miraak. "Well fought, Dragonborn," he coughed. "But this is not over yet. I shall return and take what is mine, and finally escape this place."

He had just begun to mutter the incantation for a complicated teleportation spell, when the storm overhead vanished suddenly, and the air around them began to shift. Both Aeros and Miraak looked up fearfully, recognizing the presence suffusing the space around them.

"Did you think to escape me here, Miraak?" whispered a sinister voice from all around them. "You can hide nothing from me here!"

From the ground upon which they stood shot a giant, black tentacle, impaling Miraak and lifting him several feet off the ground. All around them, the air distorted as writhing tentacles appeared, while directly overhead, a giant, golden eye appeared, staring down at them. Hermaeus Mora had made his appearance.

"Damn you, Hermaeus!" Miraak swore, struggling in vain to pull himself free of the Daedra's appendage. "Using others to do your dirty work and then striking me down once I was weakened... Have you no courage, demon?"

The golden orb overhead blinked slowly as Hermaeus Mora laughed, the sound sending a chill down Aeros's spine. "What need does Hermaeus Mora have for courage or strength in battle? I am the Master of Fate; none can stand for long against the tides of fate and destiny. But no matter. Your service is at an end, Miraak. I have found a new Dragonborn to serve me."

"May he be rewarded for his service as I am!" Miraak groaned defiantly. He gave an agonizing cry of pain as the tentacle piercing his body twisted cruelly, before receding abruptly and leaving Miraak to plummet to the ground.

Now Hermaeus Mora's attention shifted to Aeros. "Miraak harbored fantasies of rebellion against me," he intoned. "Learn from his example. Serve me faithfully, and you will continue to be richly rewarded."

Aeros scowled. "I told you before, monster," he growled. "I will NEVER serve you!"

"Perhaps," Hermaeus Mora mused, as if Aeros's defiance amused him. "For now, at least. But you have had a taste of the forbidden knowledge which only I, Hermaeus Mora, can give you. In time, you will return here, to my realm of Apocrypha, seeking more. I will wait patiently for that time. Until then, I will return you to your realm."

The world around Aeros and Miraak flared blindingly white, and the entire world around them shifted.

* * *

\- Solstheim -

Even before the light faded, Aeros could tell that he was no longer in Apocrypha. A light breeze blew gently through the air, carrying a myriad of scents, and he could feel the warmth of the sun on his skin. When at last he could see again, he looked around. He was back on Solstheim, in the clearing where he and his friends had ambushed the cultists, and where he had read the Black Book to confront Miraak. The bodies of slain cultists still littered the ground, and crows and ravens, the scavengers of war, were just beginning to pick over the battlefield. But of his friends there was no sign.

A voice began laughing quietly nearby. Turning, Aeros saw Miraak laying on the ground nearby. The Dragon Priest had removed his mask, and for the first time, Aeros saw his true face. His appearance was that of a man in his thirties, with dark brown, almost black, hair, and bright blue eyes. Aeros thought he could see black spots floating in the whites of the other man's eyes, but they seemed to be fading. But overall, he didn't seem all that different from Aeros himself, or any other Nord for that matter.

"Still alive?" Aeros asked him tiredly. He was surprised that the man had not died from the wounds that both he and Hermaeus Mora had inflicted, but was too exhausted to put an end to him now. Miraak glanced over at him. He seemed strangely at peace, completely different from the man Aeros had fought against before.

"Only for a little while longer," he answered. "Hermaeus Mora made sure of that." He returned back to looking at the land around him, and the vivid blue sky overhead. "Heh, what a cruel joke that Hermaeus Mora has played, and with me as the butt of it. I desired to return to return to my homeland, Solstheim, to escape his grip and once again be free. And so in my final moments, he sees fit to grant me my wish. The Daedric Princes certainly do love their little twists of irony." He shook with suppressed laughter.

"It seems I underestimated you, Aeros Dragons-Bane," he said after a while. "I thought myself stronger than you, but in the end, you defeated me and proved that you are the one who is truly worthy of the name 'Dovahkiin.'"

Miraak's body began to burn away, just like a dragon's upon its death. "Farewell, Dragonborn, and beware. The world has not finished with you yet. The strands of fate still twist about you, and it will be a while yet until you are free of them."

With that, Miraak's body burned away completely, leaving nothing but a skeleton behind. The soul of the First Dragonborn rose into the air and swirled about in a whirlwind of energy, before being absorbed by the Last Dragonborn.

* * *

\- Skaal Village -

Serana tiredly leaned against the wall of a building, exhausted after so many battles. All around the village, similar sights could be seen, as the warriors of the Skaal who had helped push back the cultists recovered from their ordeal. In the back of the village, in front of the Greathall, a number of healers were working on patching up those who had been injured in the fighting, focusing on the most serious and life-threatening injuries first. Serana had already healed the various cuts and scrapes that she herself had earned, although her clothes were still splattered with blood.

She opened her eyes at the sound of three sets of footsteps approaching. Frea was making her way towards her, along with two of the Nords that had arrived from Granskog. She recognized one of them as the grizzled Nord who had saved her life. The other was one of the healers, a blonde haired woman who looked to be around the same age as her male companion.

"Serana," Frea said when they drew close enough. "This is Matthis, the chief of Granskog Island, and his wife, Idegun. Matthis, Idegun, this is Serana. She, along with her fiancé, Aeros, has proven a true friend of the Skaal, and helped free our people from Miraak's influence."

Serana stood and greeted the two new arrivals. "Greetings. We've already met, Matthis, although I'm not sure you remember; you saved me from a cultist that was about to kill me. And it is an honor to meet you, Lady Idegun."

Matthis laughed. "Give yourself some credit, lass," he guffawed. "From what I saw of you during the rest of the battle, I've no doubt you could have handled that orc on your own. I merely gave you a helping hand."

His wife, Idegun, smiled at her husband's antics. "It is a pleasure to meet you as well, Serana. And my husband is right. From what I've heard some of the other Skaal say, you are quite a force to be reckoned with. The Dragonborn is a lucky man to have someone like you willing to marry him."

Serana blushed at the praise. "Thank you, it's kind of you to say so. But really, I-" She stiffened abruptly as the air around them shifted, and she felt a familiar power.

Frea felt it too, as well as the corruption lifting from the Tree Stone. "Serana…" she said. Serana nodded.

"I know, I feel it too. He did it, didn't he? Excuse us!" she apologized to a bemused Matthis and Idegun, before running as fast as she could, Frea not far behind her.

They quickly left the village behind, weaving through the trees as they drew closer to the power that they had sensed. Breaking through the trees, they emerged in the clearing where they had first clashed with the cultists. Serana froze, as did Frea. Standing in the center of the clearing, was Aeros, although he was almost unrecognizable. He was battered and bloodied, and clad in a mysterious, spectral set of armor that called to mind the appearance and power of a dragon.

"Aeros!" Serana called. He slowly turned towards them, and his eyes were like glowing orbs of fire. Then the armor vanished, and his eyes returned to their normal shade of blue. But as the armor disappeared, it also revealed the full extent of his injuries, and Serana had to stifle a gasp.

Aeros had turned at the sound of Serana's voice, and relief swept through him as he saw that she was unharmed. _We did it_, he thought wearily. _We defeated Miraak and protected the Skaal_. He tried to take a step towards her and Frea, but staggered as the ethereal armor vanished. He heard Serana gasp. _I'm all right_, he tried to say, but his mouth refused to work. _I'm just a little tired is all_. His knees buckled suddenly, and he pitched headfirst into darkness. The last thing he heard before oblivion took him was Serana's voice as she cried out his name.

"Aeros!"

* * *

Author's Notes: I finally finished the fight between Aeros and Miraak! I apologize for being gone so long. I hit a major case of writer's block during the battle between Aeros and Miraak, and had to take a break. I'm still not entirely sure if I did the fight justice, but I'm happy with what I have for now, although I did seem to wax melodramatic a bit. I also apologize to everyone for the rampant use of the dragon language in this chapter, which I know can be hard to understand a lot of the time.

The next chapter will be relatively short, considering that it deals with the aftermath of the conflict between the First and Last Dragonborn, and the cultists' assault on Skaal Village. Of course, that means that I'll have it up that much faster!

Feel free to favorite the story, leave a review, or shoot me a PM about any suggestions or critique you might have.

Characters:

Wulf Wild-Blood: One of the hunters of Skaal Village, Wulf was also one of the Skaal caught by Miraak's spell and forced to work on the shrine around the Wind Stone. He also has a brother who recently disappeared after becoming a werebear.

Matthis: Matthis is the father of Vilja, from one of the most popular follower mods on the Nexus. He is quite the capable warrior, and lives with his family live on Granskog Island, an island in the Solstheim archipelago.

Idegun: Idegun is the mother of Vilja. Unlike her eldest daughter and husband, she is not much of a warrior, but is an extremely skilled alchemist.

Sahrotaar: One of the three dragons enslaved by Miraak's Bend Will Shout, Sahrotaar serves as your passage to Miraak's tower. He is ultimately slain when Miraak consumes his soul.

Kruziikrel: One of Miraak's dragons that he has enslaved with his Bend Will Shout, he dies when Miraak forcefully rips his soul from his body and consumes it.

Relonikiv: One of the three dragons under the sway of Miraak. Like Sahrotaar and Kruziikrel, he is slain when Miraak consumes his soul.

Dragon Language:

Dov = Dragon; Dragonkind

Gol Hah Dov = Earth Mind Dragon (Bend Will Shout)

Thuri = Overlord; Master

Joor = Mortal

Feim Zii Gron = Fade Spirit Bind (Become Ethereal Shout)

Wuld Nah Kest = Whirlwind Fury Tempest (Whirlwind Sprint Shout)

Kruziikrel, zii los dii du = Kruziikirel, your soul is mine to devour

Su Grah Dun = Air Battle Grace (Elemental Fury Shout)

Mul Qah Diiv = Strength Armor Wyrm (Dragon Aspect Shout)

Ven Gaar Nos = Wind Unleash Strike (Cyclone Shout)

Yol Toor Shul = Fire Inferno Sun (Fire Breath Shout)

Fo Krah Diin = Frost Cold Freeze (Frost Breath Shout)

Strun Bah Qo = Storm Wrath Lightning (Storm Call Shout)

Relonikiv, zii los dii du = Relonikiv, your soul is mine to devour

Nahkriin = Vengeance; Revenge

Dovah = Dragon(s)

Ruth hi, Miraak. Faal zii do vorey los ni hin wah immar! = Damn you, Miraak. The souls of others are not yours to control!

Krii Lun Aus = Kill Leach Suffer (Marked for Death Shout)


	42. At the Summit of Apocrypha 8

At the Summit of Apocrypha 8

Aeros felt unbelievably tired, and his entire body ached. He tried to remember why that was, but his mind felt like it was stuffed with cotton, and he could not remember anything past the battle with the cultists. Exhausted by his efforts, his consciousness slowly faded back into darkness, and he knew no more.

When he came to his senses again, he realized that he was lying on a bed somewhere. His body felt stiff, and his eyes refused to open. Nearby, he could hear other people speaking in hushed whispers. Their voices were too low for him to make out what they were saying, but he could tell by their tone that they were worried about something. _What's going on?_ he tried to ask, but his voice failed him. _Where's Serana? What happened to Miraak? Why do I feel so incredibly tired?_ As these thoughts echoed around in his mind, he slipped back into the blissful embrace of oblivion.

His sleep was fitful, filled with all sorts of dreams and nightmares. As he slowly began to regain consciousness, he realized that he felt better than before. His mind was clearer, and he was able to fully remember everything that happened between him and Miraak, as well as the First Dragonborn's death. Opening his eyes, he found himself lying on a bed in a small room. The room was dark, its only source of illumination a single candle guttering on the nightstand next to his bed. There were no windows in the room, so he had no way of telling what time of day it was, or even _what _day it was. He felt as if he had been unconscious for a long time.

With a groan, Aeros slowly sat up on the bed. Feeling an odd tightness and sense of restriction around his chest, he glanced down and saw that his chest, and most of the rest of his body as well, was wrapped tightly in bandages. He was happy to note however, that beyond a little stiffness, his arm and leg were healed, and, based off of the fact that he no longer had any trouble breathing, so were his ribs as well. Feeling a twinge above his eye, he reached up and gingerly felt the new scar above his left brow, where Miraak's blade had almost taken his eye.

"Where am I?" he questioned as he examined his surroundings. The room was small and relatively plain. With the exception of his bed and the nightstand, the only other piece of furniture was a chair in the corner near the door. Someone was actually asleep in the chair, but in the dim glow of the candle, they were shrouded in shadows and he couldn't make out their features.

The sleeping figure jerked awake at the sound of his voice, and he could make out two glowing irises staring back at him, as a familiar scent filled his nose and put him at ease. "Aeros?" whispered Serana, not daring to believe her eyes.

Aeros cracked a smile. "Hey, stranger-" he started to say, before being cut off as Serana practically threw herself at him and pulled him into a bone crushing hug.

"Serana...can't...breathe!" he gasped as she squeezed all of the air out of his lungs. Serana hurriedly released him, stifling a giggle as she sat back on the edge of his bed.

"I'm sorry," she said, a small smile dancing on her lips. "I'm just so relieved to see you finally awake. We've all been worried about you."

"I'm glad to be awake as well," Aeros said with a smile. "And I'm sorry for worrying you so much." He glanced around again. "But how did I get here? The last thing I remember is losing consciousness in the clearing. Actually, where is here exactly?"

"You are in one of the homes in Skaal Village," a voice answered from the doorway. Turning, Aeros saw Frea leaning against the doorway connecting to the rest of the house. "Hello, Aeros," she said, smiling at him. "It is good to see you awake." He was happy to see Frea back to her normal self again, although he was surprised that she was still acting so friendly to him. He had more than expected her to hate him after his role in Storn's death.

"Hello, Frea. It's good to _be _awake again," he replied. "You said I'm in Skaal Village?."

She nodded. "We found you in the clearing after you defeated Miraak, but you lost consciousness from your injuries, and nothing we did could wake you. So we carried you back to the village so that you could receive treatment for your injuries. The healers all but drained themselves dry trying to heal your injuries and keep you from dying. Most of them were astounded that you were even still alive after sustaining such severe wounds, and even more so when you survived beyond the first night."

"What can I say, I'm stubborn," Aeros said with a shrug. "I've been to Sovngarde once, and as wondrous as it is, I have no desire to return there anytime soon-" He stopped and looked at Frea. "Wait, what do you mean the 'first night?'"

"You've been unconscious for almost a week," Frea answered. "We had you moved here instead of the Greathall with the other injured so that you could recover in a more quiet environment, but the healers were worried that you would not even wake up. Serana here refused to give up hope, and has been by your side the entire time."

Aeros smiled gratefully at Serana. "Well then, I'm happy to have defied the healers' expectations. But what happened to the village while I was in Apocrypha? Miraak mentioned that you managed to defeat his cultists, but he never mentioned the cost. How many of the Skaal lost their lives?"

Frea smiled and shook her head. "None. It is true that the cultists nearly overwhelmed us, and several of the Skaal suffered serious injuries, but no one died, thanks in large part to the arrival of allies from the other islands."

Aeros sighed in relief. "I'm glad to hear it," he said. "It's a good thing that you and your father sent out that call for help afterall."

Frea nodded. "Indeed. Now if you will excuse me, I will go inform one of the healers that you are awake, and have them come check on your injuries." She bid them both farewell, and left.

Once she was gone, Aeros laughed ruefully. "An entire week," he said with a shake of his head. "Why do I feel like you and I have been here before?" he asked Serana.

Serana also laughed, knowing what he was referring to. "Probably because we _have _been here before," she replied. "Just how many times are you going to pick a fight with some of the most powerful beings in Tamriel before you finally realize that it's bad for your health?"

"Probably another one or two times," he joked. "Besides," he added with a smirk, "how am I supposed to know better when the bedside treatment I receive afterwards is a reward in of itself? Ow!" he yelped when Serana lightly punched him in the side. "Okay, okay, I'm sorry!"

Serana scowled at him, but after several more moments, her expression softened and she herself gave a small smile. Now that Aeros was awake again, her mind felt more at ease than it had been in a long time. "Aeros?" she asked suddenly, voicing something that she had been wondering about for the past week. "There's something I've been trying to figure out, that I was hoping you might be able to explain."

He looked over at her curiously. "What do you mean?" he asked. "I'll answer if I can, but keep in mind that I _have _been unconscious for the past week, so I don't know how much help I'll be."

"When we found you…" she began. "Your injuries were horrible, as bad as when you fought my father. But when we brought you to the healers, they said that the worst of your wounds had already partially healed, and that it was only because of that fact that you were even still alive and hadn't bled to death. And yet, when we found you, even I was able to tell that you had drained yourself dry of magicka, and you had already given all of your potions to the Skaal before you left. So how were you able to heal those injuries?"

Aeros was silent for a while before answering. "Because of Miraak," he said at last.

Serana stared at him in confusion. "Miraak?" she questioned. "Why would Miraak heal you? He wanted to kill you."

"You remember what happens whenever I absorb a dragon soul?" he asked. Mystified by the sudden change in subject, Serana nodded. "When I kill a dragon and absorb its soul, the surge of power is enough to sometimes heal my injuries. When I fought Miraak, he explained to me that when a Dragonborn dies at the hands of another Dragonborn, it's no different than when we kill a dragon. So when I defeated Miraak, I absorbed his soul, and all that was left was a…"

"Skeleton," Serana breathed, and her eyes widened in realization. "When we found you, there was a skeleton lying on the ground nearby wearing the tattered remnants of a robe and with a cracked mask next to it. You mean that was actually Miraak?"

He nodded. "It was," he confirmed. "I absorbed his soul, and its energy was enough to heal some of my injuries and keep me from death's edge long enough for you and Frea to find me."

Serana frowned. "So, if Miraak had killed you instead, then…"

"He would have absorbed my soul and escaped from Apocrypha, with enough power to conquer all of Skyrim," Aeros finished. "That was his goal all along, and not even the dov would have been able to stand against him if he had succeeded."

Serana had no idea what to say. She had known the stakes were high, but had never realized just how high. She silently thanked the gods for protecting Aeros. "I'm glad that you managed to kill him then," she said at last. But to her surprise, Aeros scowled and shook his head.

"I didn't kill him," he said.

"What do you mean?" Serana asked in surprise. "Of course you killed him. Isn't that how you absorbed his soul and returned to Solstheim?"

"No," Aeros said. "The two of us fought nearly to a standstill. I managed to wound him badly, maybe even mortally so, but in the end, Hermaeus Mora betrayed Miraak. He watched our entire encounter, and waited until it seemed like I was the winning bet and Miraak was too injured to defend himself before finishing him off."

He sighed heavily. "I'm sorry," he apologized. "I know I should be happy that everything's over now that Miraak is dead, but I just hate the idea of playing into Hermaeus Mora's hands, and of Miraak and I being nothing more than pawns to him."

Serana gave him an understanding look. "No, it's all right," she said sympathetically. "I know better than most how you must be feeling right now. I felt the same way when we confronted Vyrthur and I found out that he created the prophecy about the Tyranny of the Sun just for his own petty revenge."

She leaned against him gently, and Aeros was thankful for her understanding and support. Neither of them said anything for a long time, just glad that they were both still alive, despite Miraak's best efforts, and finally able to relax just a little, now that everything was finally over.

* * *

\- Nighttime -

The sun had just sunk below the horizon, and the first stars were beginning to make their appearance in the night sky overhead. Torches were lit around the village, providing light for everyone to see with as they made their way towards the center of the village. There in the center, a large pyre had been built, around which everyone gathered. Resting on the pyre lay the body of Storn Crag-Strider, the shaman of the Skaal. He was dressed in the ceremonial garb of a shaman, and his hands were clasped on his chest. In the flickering glow of the torchlight, the aged shaman looked at peace.

The chief of Skaal Village, Fanari Strong-Voice, stepped forward, coming to a stop directly in front of the unlit pyre with her head bowed. "Goodbye, old friend," she said quietly, although those closest could still hear her. "We will miss you, but do not worry. Frea will guide us well, thanks to you." She stepped back, hurriedly wiping at her eyes. The First Hunter of the Skaal, Wulf Wild-Blood, was the next to step forward.

"Rest well, and return to the All-Maker, old one," he said respectfully. "The Skaal will never forget your sacrifice, nor the freedom it bought us."

One by one, the rest of the Skaal began to come forward to offer their final respects to their fallen shaman. A number of the Nords from Granskog and the other islands who had known Storn also stepped forward to say one last goodbye to their old friend.

Leaning tiredly against Serana, Aeros observed all of this solemnly. After he had awoken, he learned that the Skaal had been waiting until he regained consciousness before holding Storn's funeral, something which he was grateful for. The healers had tried to get him to stay in bed for another few days, but he had stubbornly refused until they finally relented. Still, even after using some of his own magic to speed his recovery, his body was still weak after suffering such grievous injuries and being unconscious for an entire week. Thankfully, Serana was there to lend him support and help keep him on his feet, which helped prevent anyone from noticing just how weak he still was.

At last, Aeros and Serana themselves stepped forward. They stopped in front of the pyre, and Aeros noted the serene expression on Storn's face. Despite his cruel death at Hermaeus Mora's hands, the older man had accomplished his goal of protecting his people and helped free them from Miraak's shadow.

"Your death wasn't for nothing, Storn," Aeros said quietly. "Miraak is dead, and Hermaeus Mora's influence has faded from Solstheim, for a while at least. I just wish there had been another way..."

"Farewell, Storn," Serana said once Aeros was done speaking. "You can rest easy; your village is safe, and in good hands. We could not have defeated Miraak without your help, so...thank you."

Once they had said their farewells, the two of them stepped back to allow one last person through. The Skaal parted as Frea stepped forward. Her expression was solemn and filled with sorrow, and yet she held herself high as she approached her father's funeral pyre, already fulfilling her role as the Skaal's new shaman and setting an example for the others.

"Farewell, father," she said sorrowfully, her face downcast. "Do not worry, I will fulfill my promise to you and help lead our people, using what you have taught me. Return now to the All-Maker's side, Storn Crag-Strider, and know that your people shall live on thanks to your sacrifice," she said, her voice thick with emotion as she held her torch to the dry wood of the pyre, sparking the first embers of flame. The flames grew steadily higher, until the entire pyre was ablaze and the Storn's body was hidden from view. As everyone watched the flames burning away, no one but Aeros and Serana noticed Frea standing alone, her shoulders shaking with barely suppressed sobs. Serana quietly went to her side, wrapping a comforting arm around her. The normally stoic female warrior buried her head in her friend's shoulder, sobbing openly as she mourned the loss of her father. Serana murmured sympathetically as she comforted her friend, while Aeros watched over them. The flickering embers of the pyre rose into the night sky, merging with the stars shining brightly overhead.

* * *

\- Skaal Village -

After Storn's funeral, life in Skaal Village returned to normal. The only exception was the night before the warriors from the other islands returned home. A giant feast was prepared, with plenty of food and drink for everyone. It was a change from the normally quiet lifestyle the Skaal lived, but after everything they had been through, everyone in the village felt the need for something to help raise their spirits. And what better way than by throwing a feast to thank the warriors who had helped save them? The preparation itself took several days, and Aeros and Serana helped out wherever they could. When the night of the feast finally arrived, Aeros was surprised to learn that he and Serana were the guests of honor, for their role in stopping Miraak and saving all of Solstheim.

The celebration lasted throughout the night, and Aeros found himself pulled into countless conversations with members of the Skaal who wished to thanks him for stopping Miraak, and warriors from the other islands who had heard stories about the Dragonborn and were eager to meet him in person. Serana, of course, watched on in amusement as he repeatedly turned down multiple offers to come and visit the other isles, as well as several propositions of marriage.

When at last daybreak arrived, the warriors said their farewells to the Skaal before beginning their trek to the harbor where they had moored their ships and setting sail for their own homes.

After the Nords from the other islands departed, Aeros and Serana stayed on Solstheim for several more weeks, taking the chance to fully explore the island while Aeros recuperated from his wounds. At last though, his injuries fully healed and both of them realized that it was time for them to return to their lives in Skyrim. And so, saying their farewells to the Skaal, they left for Raven Rock early in the morning, with Frea accompanying them. They came to a stop at the edge of the village boundaries.

"This is farewell then," said Serana. "Goodbye, Frea. I'll miss you."

Frea smiled. "And I will miss you as well, Aeros and Serana. I am glad that the All-Maker allowed us to meet."

Aeros had been quiet during their walk, wrestling with his thoughts. "Frea, about Storn…" he said at last. During the past couple weeks he had avoided bringing up Storn's death to avoid reawakening painful memories for Frea, but he felt as if he had to speak now, if for no other reason than to apologize to Frea for his role in her father's death. However, Frea cut him off.

"Aeros, I do not blame you for my father's death," she said gently, knowing what he had been about to say. "I think he knew what would happen. He saw his death in that book. Even so, he still opened it because he knew that there was no other way to stop Miraak and protect our people. You must not blame yourself for what happened; it is not what my father would have wanted."

Aeros gave a small smile. "Thank you, Frea," he said, feeling as if a weight had been lifted up off of his shoulders. "This is goodbye then. If you ever have the opportunity, you should come visit us in Skyrim."

"I will keep that in mind," Frea promised. "I would very much like to journey with the two of you again." She looked to be hesitating with herself briefly before she came to a decision. "Aeros, Serana, one more thing, if you will. I know it is not my place, but...may I offer a word of advice...of warning?"

"Of course," Serana said, surprised that Frea even had to ask. "You're our friend after all, Frea. You shouldn't hesitate to speak whatever is on your mind to us."

Frea nodded. "As shaman of the Skaal, I am charged with the spiritual well-being of my people. While you are not of the Skaal, the two of you are Skaal-friend, and so I give you this warning. Aeros," she said, directing her words to him now, "Herma-Mora forced you to serve him in order to defeat Miraak. Do not let him lure you further down that path. The All-Maker made you Dragonborn for a higher purpose. Do not forget that."

"Don't worry, Frea, I won't," Aeros promised. Then, to Frea's and Serana's confusion, he removed his pack. Opening it, he removed two ancient books bound in black leather. Frea and Serana stared at the Black Books apprehensively. Neither of them had given any thought to the Black Books after the defeat of Miraak, and had no idea that Aeros had held onto them. Having no idea what Aeros's intentions with the books might be, both Frea and Serana were filled with a sense of foreboding.

As Aeros held the books up, one in each hand, he noted the concerned looks they both wore. "Don't worry," he reassured them, as he drew upon his magicka. "I've said it before, and I'll say it again. My will is my own, and I refuse to be Hermaeus Mora's pawn."

The Black Books burst into flames, the aged and brittle pages quickly catching fire. As the flames consumed the books and reduced them to nothing more than ash, an unearthly shriek of rage echoed through the air, making the hair on the back of their necks stand up.

"Was that really wise?" Serana questioned as the sound faded. "Pissing off a Daedric Prince?"

Aeros shrugged. "Probably not, but who cares?" he answered, dusting the ashes off of his hands. "Hermaeus Mora can rot in a pit in Oblivion for all I care. I refuse to be his servant, like Miraak was."

Frea and Serana laughed at his carefree attitude, relieved that he had not been drawn in by the lure of forbidden knowledge. "Farewell, Aeros and Serana," Frea said. "I truly enjoyed our time together, and hope that our paths will cross again. Walk with the All-Maker, Skaal-friends, and may fortune favor you."

With that, the three friend parted ways; Frea to return to her village and her people, and Aeros and Serana to Raven Rock and beyond, to their friends and home in Skyrim.

* * *

Author's Notes: And so the Dragonborn arc comes to an end, and Aeros and Serana return home to Skyrim. I hope you all enjoyed Aeros defying Hermaeus Mora. I've mentioned it before, but I've always wished there was an option to defy the Daedric Princes, instead of meekly accepting their demands, so this was something born from that desire. Not to mention, it just didn't make a lot of sense to me for Aeros to agree to become Hermaeus Mora's servant after just witnessing him betray Miraak, and knowing what happened to one of his previous servants, Septimus Signus.

For the next arc, I'll be taking a bit of a break from all of the action and rampaging Dragonborns (mostly). Instead, the arc will focus on the antics of a drunken Dragonborn, and the humorous situations Aeros finds himself in after a night of drinking with his new buddy, Sam!

I will also be posting a new story within a couple of days that will serve as a collection of short stories and one-shots of some of Aeros's lesser known adventures and misadventures during his time in Skyrim. Of course, first I have to decide on a title!


	43. Mead, Drunken Deeds and Uncle Sanguine 1

Mead, Drunken Deeds, and Uncle Sanguine 1

Saadia deftly avoided the groping hands of another drunken patron as she weaved her way through the crowd of people, carefully balancing the tray of drinks in her hand. The Bannered Mare was even busier than usual tonight. As Whiterun's most popular tavern and inn, the Bannered Mare was regularly frequented by customers of all sorts, from simple farmers and guardsmen just off of guard duty to merchants, and mercenaries, along with a few folk of a more disreputable reputation. Even Jarl Balgruuf was said to occasionally frequent the tavern, when he was able to slip away from the watchful eye of his housecarl, Irileth. But tonight, the tavern was packed almost to the brim.

"Saadia!" Hulda called. "The table in the back needs another round of drinks."

"Yes, mum," she replied, filling several more fresh mugs with mead and carrying them towards the far back corner of the tavern. Of course, she mused, part of the reason the tavern was so full might be because of the group occupying said corner. "Here you are, friends," she said as she set a mug down in front of five of the six people sitting at the table. The sixth occupant waved her offer off, still nursing his previous mug of mead.

"Thank you, Saadia," Vilkas said politely as she set a mug down in front of him. The Redguard woman inclined her head respectfully before disappearing back into the throng of people. Vilkas's twin, Farkas watched her as she left.

"All right, Farkas," Aela said dryly. "You can put your eyes back in your head now."

Farkas blushed, embarrassed at having been caught staring. "Do you think she'd say yes if I asked her to take a walk with me?" he wondered.

"Trust me, Farkas, that one is a lot more trouble than you'd think," Aeros replied dryly, grimacing at the memory of his past experience with the Redguard woman. On either side of him, Lydia and Serana laughed, knowing why he had made such a strange face.

The six of them had decided to enjoy the evening at the Bannered Mare after a particularly difficult contract that Aeros, Serana, and Lydia had helped the Circle with. The contract itself had been simple enough, killing a group of bandits that was harassing travellers, but by the end of it, they had found themselves involved in a fourway fight against the bandits, a pair of irritated giants, and a dragon. Somehow, they managed to not only survive but kill all of their attackers, and so decided to celebrate their survival with a night of drinking and revelry.

As the night wore on, they all consumed several more mugs and bottles of alcohol. Vilkas and Farkas drank so much that they started to fall off of their seats, both of them wearing foolish grins. Lydia and Aela had started to slur their words a bit as well, and even Serana felt a slight buzz. However, Serana noticed that Aeros had been nursing the same mug for quite some time, and that he had consumed significantly less alcohol than the rest of them. Even in her slightly inebriated state, she found herself curious as to the cause of his behavior.

It was close to midnight when Aeros stood. "I think I've had enough to drink for tonight," he said. He waved aside their drunken objections. "Hey, someone has to be sober enough in the morning to drag your sorry asses out of here . Besides, I'm still sore from where that giant's club hit. Serana, Lydia, I'll see you guys back at Breezehome. And Aela, try to make sure that these two louts," he jerked a finger at Vilkas and Farkas, "don't get lost on the way back to Jorrvaskr."

As he said goodbye to Hulda and thanked her for the food and drink, Serana noticed that he seemed far less intoxicated than the rest of them. In fact, as he walked towards the doors leading out of the Mare, he did not stagger or stumble once. As the doors closed behind him, she turned back towards her companions curiously.

"I've always wondered," she said, "why is it that Aeros never gets drunk? Sure he drinks, but never to the point where he's completely drunk."

To her surprise, Vilkas and Farkas roared with laughter at her question, and even Lydia and Aela broke out into peals of laughter. She stared at them in bemusement, wondering just what was so funny about her question. Eventually, Aela and Lydia calmed down enough to answer her question, although the twins still shook with mirth.

"Aeros likes to claim that a drunken Dragonborn isn't good for anyone's health," Aela said with a smirk. "Which I suppose is true enough."

"But the real reason as to why my Thane avoids drinking too much is a much longer story," Lydia added. Serana looked at the twins who were still shaking with laughter, then back at the other two women, who were smirking widely at the memory of what was no doubt a highly interesting and amusing story, if Aeros's past misadventures were anything to go by. She allowed her lips to quirk upwards in a smirk of her own as she leaned forward.

"Tell me everything."

* * *

\- Whiterun -

"To the continuing glory of the Companions!" Aela said loudly, raising her mug in a toast. She was answered by a resounding cheer from the rest of the Companions as they too lifted their mugs.

A few days ago, the Companions had been given a contract to deal with a particularly large group of Silver Hand that had somehow escaped the Circle's purge. They had holed up not too far outside of the city, and the captain of the guard has asked the Companions to deal with them. The Circle had spent several days scouting the area where the Silver Hand had purportedly been sighted, and determining just how large the group of outlaws was, and how much of a threat they posed. Finally, they decided to make their move and wipe the werewolf hunters out; however, instead of just the members of the Circle going in, they had decided to bring the entire Companions.

The battle had been a fierce one, but eventually the Companions managed to slay every last Silver Hand, and returned to Whiterun victorious. However, to many of their members' dismay, especially Torvar's, they found that they had actually managed to somehow run out of mead. As a result, they moved their celebrations to the Bannered Mare.

Almost completely oblivious to the the celebrations going on around him, Aeros was sitting on one of the stools at the bar, staring sullenly at a crumpled and well-read note. It read:

"_Dragonborn-_

_need to speak to you. Urgently._

_Rent the attic room at the Sleeping Giant Inn in Riverwood, and I'll meet you._

_-A friend"_

He had read the mysterious note countless times after finding it Ustengrav, in place of the Horn of Jurgen Windcaller. Even after following the note's cryptic instructions and meeting Delphine, he still wasn't sure if it had been a good idea. Ever since he had discovered that he was Dragonborn and the Greybeards had summoned him to High Hrothgar, it seemed like the list of things causing him headaches had only grown. _And now I'm going to attempt to sneak into the Thalmor Embassy and find out what they know about the return of the dragons,_ he thought wryly. _When did my life get so bloody complicated?_

"Is everything all right, friend?" a voice asked. "The scowl you're making is enough to make even the bravest bandit run for the hills." Startled, Aeros's head jerked up as he was pulled out of his thoughts. Turning his head, he found an unfamiliar man sitting in the seat next to him, staring back at him with a curious look. The man's appearance was fairly nondescript, a Breton man in his late twenties or early thirties, with long brown hair and dressed in black robes. The one thing that did stand out about him was his bloodshot eyes and a redness to his cheeks and nose that indicated heavy drinking. However, despite that, or perhaps because of it, this stranger seemed like quite the friendly fellow.

Aeros waved his answer in response to the man's question. "It's nothing," he said. "I've just had a lot on my plate lately."

The stranger grinned lopsidedly. "Ah, the woes of being an adventurer," he said knowingly. "You remind of a friend of mine from a long time ago, back in Cyrodiil. Always playing the hero, he was." His grin widened. "But in that case, I think I know just the cure for your troubles. You look like someone who can hold their liquor. How about a friendly drinking contest? If you win, I'll give you my favorite staff."

Aeros hesitated briefly, remembering all of the tasks that were waiting for him the next day. His hesitation only lasted for a moment though, before he decided that he deserved a break from the burden that had been thrust onto his shoulders as the Dragonborn. A few drinks were exactly what he needed. "A drinking contest?" he said. "All right, you're on!"

The stranger laughed. "I knew you were the right one to ask," he said merrily. He leaned down and picked something up off the ground next to him. Straightening, he revealed that it was a small, portable, oaken keg, small enough to be carried around. As he set it down on the counter, Aeros could hear the sound of liquid sloshing inside. The strange Breton tapped the side of the keg. "This is a special brew that I made myself," he said proudly. "Very strong stuff. Are you still up for it?"

Aeros grinned. "I'm still up for it. I should warn you though, you don't stand a chance!"

The man's grin widened. "Ha! We'll see about that. I'm Sam, by the way. Sam Guevenne." He offered his hand for Aeros to shake. Aeros accepted it gladly.

"Aeros," he replied as he shook hands with Sam. "My name is Aeros."

"Well then, Aeros," Sam said when they released each other, "let's get started!"

"What's are you up to over here, Harbinger?" a third voice interrupted. Both Sam and Aeros turned to look behind them to find Farkas standing there.

"Hello, Farkas," Aeros said. "Sam and I were just about to have a bit of a drinking contest. Care to join?"

Farkas grinned. "A drinking contest?" he questioned. "You can count me in."

Sam smiled. "The more the merrier!" he said, as he produced a tap and three mugs from somewhere. Setting the mugs down on the counter, he poured into each one, filling them almost to the brim. Grabbing a mug, he picked it up as he said, "I'll start round one. Down the hatch!" Lifting it to his lips, he proceeded to drain the mug in a single, practiced motion. When he had finished, he wiped the foam off of his lips as he looked towards Aeros and Farkas expectantly. "Your turn!"

Aeros and Farkas both grabbed their own mugs and proceeded to drain them as well. Aeros had to admit that Sam's brew was indeed strong stuff. There was a strange taste to it and it made his throat tingle as he swallowed it. It was only a single mug of the stuff, but already he could feel the alcohol start to take effect. "Easy," he said confidently as he set his empty mug down.

"One down, my friends," Sam replied. "One down. And another one for me." He refilled his mug before draining that one just as easily as the first. Not willing to be outdone, both Aeros and Farkas followed suit. This process repeated itself several more times, until all three men were completely drunk, laughing together like the closest of friends at even the most minor or idiotic of things.

"I think I've hit my limit on these things," Sam said after his sixth drink. Both Aeros and Farkas hurried to convince their new friend otherwise, but he shook his head. "Tell you what," he said, "one more and you win the contest."

Farkas shook his head and admitted his defeat, listing slightly to one side. Aeros however, smiled confidently. "One more," he said as he grabbed another mug. "No problemsh." His words were slurring, but neither he nor Farkas noticed. Lifting the mug up to his mouth, he drained its contents before slamming the mug back on the counter. Hulda shot him a disapproving look but he didn't notice it.

Sam actually seemed impressed. "Wow," he said. "You've really done it. Well, a deal's a deal. The staff is yours."

Aeros grinned. "Thash grape!" he said in excitement. He had no idea what staff Sam was talking about, but he hoped they provided good booze.

Sam laughed, although Aeros wasn't quite sure what he was laughing at. "You know, you're a fun person to drink with. I know this great place where the wine flows like water. We should head there."

Aeros and Farkas nodded eagerly. "Thash sounds perfesh!" Aeros slurred. As he stood however, the entire room seemed to tilt and whirl around him. He saw Sam looking at him with concern.

"Hey, you don't look so good…" said Sam, right before the floor came rushing up to introduce itself to Aeros face to face.

* * *

Author's Notes: See, kids? This is why you don't get in drinking contests with strange men who offer you a mysterious staff as a prize, especially not when you're a Hero in Tamriel. Apologies for the wait, I got sidetracked by several other projects, and ironically, what's supposed to be a more easygoing and humorous arc actually gave me more trouble than most of the story/combat oriented chapters.

The first few chapters of my side-story, Unsung Tales and Misadventures, should be up as well, so feel free to check that out.

One last thing I wanted to bring up is that recently I took a look at some of my earliest chapters, and I've got to say, they're kinda...meh. They're not terrible, but they're also not as good as they could have been. The first two arcs especially are essentially just a narration of the questline for Dawnguard. As a result of being less than pleased with my own work, I've decided to revisit each chapter and attempt to improve on it. While in some cases this is just minor work that most people would never notice, such as fixing grammar or restructuring a few sentences, a number of the chapters have been almost completely rewritten and added to, to the point where they're many times longer (and better) than the original versions ever were. Currently, only the first two arcs, Road to the Dawn and A New Dawn have been reworked, but I encourage you to give them a second read and let me know what you think, as well as any suggestions you might have. As I update the subsequent arcs, I will be sure to let you know if any significant changes or additions have been made.

Characters:

Saadia: Originally known as Iman, a noble in Hammerfell, Saadia works at the Bannered Mare as a barmaid. In fact, she is hiding from the Alik'r, who are hunting for her. In this version of events, Aeros chose to believe Saadia's side of the story and protected her from the Alik'r. However, he did not kill Kematu and Alik'r, but instead tricked them into thinking that she had fled the province. Since then, she has continued her adopted life and continued to work at the Bannered Mare.

Hulda: The owner of the Bannered Mare, she is a frequent source of news and gossip, and seems to act like a motherly figure of sort for Saadia and Olfina. Recently, she has been grooming Ysolda to be her replacement as owner of the inn and plans to retire after she hands it over.

Torvar: One of the newer members of the Companions, The resident drunk, Torvar is generally more concerned with mead than with combat, he is still a decent fighter when he wants to be (and when he's sober).

Sam Guevenne: Everyone's favorite drinking buddy! He first appears in the tavern in the nearest town upon you reaching level fourteen, where he challenges you to a drinking contest. Said drinking contest eventually results in numerous interesting and hilarious hijinks, and just go to show why the Dragonborn should never be allowed to drink (and that he/she makes for quite the amusing drunk!).

Dragon Language: None used.


	44. Mead, Drunken Deeds and Uncle Sanguine 2

Mead, Drunken Deeds, and Uncle Sanguine 2

Aeros was having the strangest dream. He was sitting at a long, wooden table heavily laden with food and drink of all kinds. His surroundings were a whirlwind of lights and color, the air filled with the merry voices of partygoers and the soft sound of music playing somewhere in the background. But the strangest part of the dream by far had to be the occupants of the other seats around the table. To his right sat a pair of woman dressed in glossy, black dresses were squabbling over something small and golden. A ring of some sort? Meanwhile, the occupant of the seat next to them looked suspiciously like a large mudcrab wearing a tophat and monocle, but Aeros put that down to his imagination. Further down the table, Aeros spotted Farkas in the middle of an arm-wrestling match with a bear. Or was it a particularly hairy man wearing a bear-skin cloak? The harder he looked, the more difficult it was to tell. Next to Farkas and the strange bear-man sat a man bearing an uncanny resemblance to the pictures of Martin Septim that Aeros had seen, wearing the robes of a priest of Akatosh. Noticing Aeros's gaze, the man winked conspiratorially before returning his attention to the contest of strength next to him. Turning his attention to his left, Aeros found an equally strange and diverse row of guests. There was an Argonian passed out drunk with his head resting on the table, while a red-cheeked and rather portly Breton sat next to him, laughing heartily at his companion. But the guest who really drew Aeros's attention was the man sitting in the seat directly next to him. He was the tallest man that Aeros had ever seen, standing twice as tall as Aeros himself, and wearing nothing but a hide loincloth and a pair of fur greaves. His skin was an odd grey tint, and was covered with a number of strange, tribal-looking markings that resembled tattoos or scars of some sort. The strange giant of a man noticed his curious stare and grunted something in an incomprehensible language at him, before returning to his conversation with what looked like a goat, of all things. There were several more guests seated around the table, but he was having trouble focusing on any one of them.

"So this is where you disappeared to!" a voice called cheerfully. Aeros turned to look over his shoulder and found Sam walking drunkenly towards him, his arm draped over the shoulder of a breathtakingly beautiful woman. Strangely enough, the woman seemed familiar somehow to Aeros, as if he had seen her somewhere before, or a likeness of her. "How's my favorite drinking buddy?" Sam asked. "Enjoying the party?"

"Absolutely!" Aeros said merrily, grinning like a fool. "I have to say, San-" he hiccuped. "Sam, you really know how to throw a party." He gestured with his mug at the party all around them. He might have been a bit too enthusiastic in doing so however, as some of the mug's contents sloshed over the edge and spilled onto the ground. He frowned in puzzlement at the mug in his hand and the patch of grass where the mead had soaked into the ground.

"Good!" Sam said, clapping his hands together in delight. "I knew I made the right decision challenging you to that drinking contest. Be sure to drink up while you still can, 'cause you're in for quite the ride once the party is over!"

The woman at his side spoke up, to Aeros's surprise. "Be prepared," she said, as the dream around her began to fade away. "My daughters will not be happy once you wake. You and Sam made quite the mess in my temple. I do not blame you overly much, as I know that you are not the one truly at fault here, but my daughters will be another story." She paused, and stared at him appraisingly. "You have certainly proven to be an interesting mortal, though," she said. "Perhaps I will have use of you in the future."

Before Aeros could ask the mysterious woman what she meant, the dream dissolved entirely, fading into darkness. The last thing to disappear was the image of the woman's face, as she smiled enigmatically at him.

* * *

"Wake up!" a voice snapped, jolting Aeros back into wakefulness. His eyes snapped open, before he immediately squeezed them shut in an attempt to shield himself from the painful bright light. He cautiously opened them again until the light wasn't quite so painful anymore. As his eyes fully opened, he yelped as he was greeted with the sight of the mysterious woman from his dream staring down at him. He immediately regretted doing so however, letting out a pained groan as the sudden noise caused his head to begin pounding fiercely. Looking back up, he found that it was not actually the woman from his dream, but was instead a tall, golden statue, although there was definitely a resemblance between the two. With a groan, he slowly leveraged himself up off of the hard, stone floor that he had been laying on, and into something resembling a sitting position. As he looked around to examine his surroundings, his attention was immediately drawn to the priestess standing in front of him. The very irate priestess, who did not look at all happy to see him.

"That's right, it's time to wake up, you drunken blasphemer!" she said crossly, and Aeros had to fight the urge to let out another groan as the priestess's voice rang painfully in his ears. His head was pounding from the mother of all headaches, and his thoughts felt sluggish to say the least. It felt like someone was beating a war drum inside of his head, and even the slightest noise was painful. Noticing that the priestess was glaring at him as she waited for a response, he tried to force his thoughts into some semblance of order. He tried to recall what the priestess had said. His mind latched onto one word in particular.

"Blasphemer?" he questioned, trying to think of what he could have done to anger a priestess. The last thing he remembered was that drinking contest with Sam and Farkas at the Bannered Mare. After that, everything was just one giant blank. "I'm sorry," he said. "I can't really seem to remember anything from last night, let alone how I got here."

The priestess's scowl lightened slightly, although not by very much. "I see," she said. "So you don't remember fondling the statuary, then? I'm guessing that you also don't remember barging in here in the middle of the night with those friends of yours, blathering incoherently about marriage and a goat. Which means you don't remember losing your temper and throwing trash all over the temple when we asked you to leave, before passing out in the middle of the temple."

Aeros looked around the temple and winced. Saying that the temple was a mess was like saying a troll lair stunk. It wasn't exactly a lie, but it didn't exactly convey the whole truth, either. The temple looked as if a group of extremely drunk and irresponsible people had thrown a massive party and drunk themselves daft in it, with little regard to minor details such as showing respect to the gods or respecting others' property. Trash littered the place, and empty bottles were scattered everywhere. Even the beautiful, golden status of the goddess Dibella that towered over the rest of the chamber had not escaped the drunken mayhem. Someone had written several rather crude names on one with charcoal, while another had a silly-looking party hat tilting crazily on its head. _Well, now I know why she called me a blasphemer_, Aeros thought to himself. _Wait a minute. Golden statues of Dibella? Where in Oblivion am I?_ If he remembered correctly, there was a small temple to Dibella in Whiterun's Wind District, not far from the Temple of Kynareth, but it was nowhere near as large or extravagant as this one. Based purely off of the Dwemer style of the architecture, he would have said he was in the main Temple of Dibella in Markarth, but that was impossible. Markarth was at least a several days' journey from Whiterun on horse, let alone on foot.

He put those thoughts aside for now, focusing instead on the matter at hand. "I'm...so, so sorry," he said with as much sincerity as possible. "I really am. Like I said, I don't really remember much of last night, but I'm more than willing to make reparations. But first, I was hoping you could help me recall some of the events of last night. Do you know if there was a man, a Breton, named Sam with me when I, uh...barged in here and started 'fondling the statuary?' Or a Nord like me, named Farkas?" One of the first things he had noticed upon waking up was the absence of not only Sam, but Farkas as well.

The priestess's scowl returned at his question. "Dibella teaches love and compassion," she said crossly, "but that doesn't mean I'm just going to tell you what you want to know and let you walk away from this. Pick up the mess that you made of the temple, and apologize, and if I think you're sincere, _then _I might consider lending you aid and telling you what you want to know."

Aeros sighed. "Fair enough," he said. "After all, it is my mess, even if I don't remember making it. The least I can do is clean up the temple and apologize." Under the priestess's watchful gaze, he slowly began to pick up the trash strewn around temple.

As he picked up several of the empty mead and wine bottles strewn around the temple, his foot caught on the edge of the raised platform in the center of the chamber. Stumbling, as he tried to maintain his balance, he accidently dropped all of the bottles he had collected thus far. Fortunately, none of them broke, but the loud racket they made as they clinked against the floor and each other definitely did not help Aeros's hangover-induced headache.

"Oh, by Shor's hairy left-!" Aeros started to swear, wincing from the noise. Noticing the extremely disapproving glare that the priestess was shooting at him, he stopped himself. Sheepishly, he slowly began to pick the bottles back up again.

One advantage to cleaning up the temple was that it gave Aeros plenty of time to nurse his hangover in relative peace. The only other people in the temple were a handful of supplicants and the priestesses of Dibella themselves, but those who came to pray left him alone, and the priestesses merely kept an eye on him. The task took Aeros the better part of the day, giving him plenty of time to ponder on how exactly he had wound up in this situation and what else he might have done while drunk.

By the time he had finished cleaning the temple, leaving it looking better than it had when he had gotten there, he was still no closer to remembering anything that might have happened the previous night. Fortunately, it seemed that the priestesses had decided to forgive him of his drunken behavior from the night before, as he had more than shown his willingness to apologize and make up for his actions. As a result, they consented to answer his questions.

"So do you remember anything I might have said when I got here?" Aeros asked that evening, as he sat around the table in the temple's inner sanctum with the priestesses. To his surprise, the priestesses had actually invited him to join him for their evening meal. While he appreciated the gesture, the frequent hushed whispers and giggling, along with the furtive glances in his direction made him slightly nervous. "Did I mention anything about Sam, or a staff?"

The priestess that he had first met, who he had learned was named Senna, giggled at something one of her sisters whispered to her. "I'm sorry, what was that?" she asked, returning her attention to Aeros. "You wished to know if I remembered anything you might have said while you drunk?" She took a moment to think. "Well, you were ranting when you got here, but most of it was slurred. I don't recall you mentioning anyone named Sam, although you did say something about Rorikstead. I would try there if I were you; perhaps you'll find some hint of your friend there."

Aeros nodded. "Thank you for your help," he said as he stood. "I'll get out of your hair and be on my way, then."

"Are you sure you need to leave right now?" one of the priestesses, Orla, asked. "It's almost dark, and you must be tired after spending all day cleaning the temple. Why don't you spend the night here, and set out in the morning instead? After all, it's a long way to Rorikstead."

Aeros didn't like the way that some of the priestesses were eyeing him hungrily, like a group of cats eyeing a lone mouse. He quickly shook his head. "Thank you for the offer," he said, "but I'll be fine. This won't be the first night I've spent sleeping under the stars."

Despite the priestesses' protests, he didn't budge on his decision to leave, and so after a quick farewell to his hosts, he was soon on his way. _I wonder what she meant by 'a long way to Rorikstead?'_ he thought to himself as he walked up the stairs leading back to the main chamber of the temple. He still hadn't quite figured out where he was exactly, as he had not had the opportunity to leave the temple while he had been cleaning it. But he was sure he couldn't be that far from Whiterun.

However, those thoughts were soon dashed, as he walked through the temple doors leading outside, and stopped in his tracks, staring at his surrounding in disbelief.

"How in Oblivion did I wind up in Markarth?!" he cried in disbelief, the sound ringing out through the air as the sun set over the bustling streets and stone buildings of the City of Stone, capital of the Reach.

* * *

Author's Notes: Wow! So somehow, without me realizing it, it's been exactly two years (and one day) since the first chapter of this story was published! While I haven't written as much as I would have liked this past year or so (especially given how many more ideas I still have), it's still been enjoyable writing about Aeros and Serana's adventures. So as both a gift celebrating Tales of the Dragonborn's two-year anniversary, and as an apology for procrastinating for so long, here's a double installment of the next two chapters of this arc!

Admittedly, this chapter is relatively short, but that's because its main purpose was to lay the groundwork for the rest of the arc and kick things off. Don't worry, there are plenty of hijinks in the upcoming chapters, as Aeros tries to find out where Sam has run off to (and where Farkas has disappeared to as well!) while dealing with the consequences of his drunken actions.

Characters:

Senna: A priestess of Dibella serving at the Temple of Dibella in Markarth. While the rest of the priestesses are communing with Dibella, she is in charge of the temple grounds and dealing with supplicants and those coming to offer prayers or donations. She is also quite unhappy to see you following your night of drinking with Sam.

Orla: Another of the priestesses of Dibella. She and her sisters are originally cloistered away inside the inner sanctum of the Temple, communing with Dibella, prior to your retrieval of the next Sybil.

Dragon Language: None used.


	45. Mead, Drunken Deeds and Uncle Sanguine 3

Mead, Drunken Deeds, and Uncle Sanguine 3

"How in Oblivion did I wind up in Markarth?!" Aeros cried, as he stared about him in bewilderment at the City of Stone. He had known that he wasn't in Whiterun, as the Temple of Dibella there was much smaller than the one he had woken up in. But he had never thought that he was in the main Temple of Dibella in Markarth!

As he walked down the temple steps leading back to the main city streets, he couldn't help but take notice of his surroundings, even as distracted by his thoughts as he was. The ancient dwarven architecture was quite the change from that of Whiterun, but it had a majesty of its own, ageless and somber. The snow that drifted through the sky and covered just about every available surface only added to the city's appearance, giving it the air of a city lost in time. As he walked through the streets, taking care to avoid slipping on any ice caused by the city's canals, he attempted to puzzle things over and try to make sense of the nonsensical situation he had found himself in. _Just how many days did I lose?_ he wondered. Markarth was a several day journey from Whiterun, by horse or by foot, and that was during the spring or summer. Making that journey during the winter added on several more days to the trip, which meant it should have been impossible for him to have traveled all the way from Whiterun to Markarth within a single night. That meant that he was missing at least several days worth of memory. Unable to make sense of any of it, he entered Markarth's main market, located near the city gates. As he entered the main part of the market, he decided to stop and ask a passerby or a local what day it was.

"Excuse me, what day is it?" he asked one of the vendors running a stall. The vendor, a fellow Nord, looked at him like he had just sprouted a third eye and started speaking Dunmeri.

"Are you daft?" he asked scornfully. "How can you not know what day it is? Did you just climb out from under a rock or something?"

"Oh, lay off, Hogni," one of the other vendors, a Redguard woman, scolded. "The man just asked you a simple question, there was no need to get your breeches in a twist." She turned towards Aeros. "It's Loredas, the tenth of Morning Star," she informed him kindly.

"Thank you," Aeros said politely, hiding his shock. _The tenth of Morning Star?_ he thought in confusion. _It was the night of the ninth when I got into that drinking contest with Sam. There should be no way that I could have possibly traveled all the way from Whiterun to Markarth in a single night, short of being teleported._ He shook his head. It seemed that instead of finding some answers, he was simply left with even more questions. _Sam, I swear, when I find you, you and I are going to have a very long and serious talk._

"Excuse me, Dragonborn! Master Dragonborn, sir!"

He was pulled out of his thoughts by the sound of someone trying to get his attention, although it took several moments for him to react, as he still wasn't used to people calling him the Dragonborn.

Lifting his head, he saw an older Nord man calling to him from across the marketplace, outside of the doors to the Silver-Blood Inn, while next to him stood a Nord woman around the same age. They appeared to be husband and wife. Curious, Aeros walked towards them.

"You wanted to speak to me?" he asked once he was standing in front of them.

The older man nodded. "Yes. I'm Kleppr, and this is my wife, Frabbi. I wanted to...that is, my wife told I should- Ow!" he yelped as the woman standing next to him poked him sharply in the side. He cleared his throat sheepishly. "We wanted to thank you for what you did last night."

"Last night?" Aeros repeated, his confusion evident.

Kleppr nodded. "Aye. A few 'mercenaries,' if you could call that, had a bit too much to drink and started to harass our daughter, Hroki. But before they could go too far, you intervened and told them to leave. When they refused and tried to start a fight, you single-handedly knocked their leader out, and shouted the others to the ground with your Voice when they tried to intervene and threw them all bodily out of the inn. You left before we could thank you." He looked at Aeros questioningly. "Do you not remember any of this?"

Aeros shook his head. "I'm afraid not," he admitted. "I was in a bad state last night, and don't really remember much.

The innkeeper's wife, Frabbi nodded in understanding. "That makes sense," she said. "When you left, you were staggering more than a little as you walked through the doors, muttering something about a temple. Did one of those ruffians sink a dagger into your side or somesuch?"

Aeros smiled self-deprecatingly. "No," he said. "The staggering was the result of something else entirely." He ignored the pair's curious stares at his cryptic remark. "Still, I'm glad I was able to help, even if I don't remember doing so. On a side note, did I mention a man named Sam, or where I might have come from?"

Kleppr shook his head, while his wife, Frabbi, shrugged. "Not that I can recall, master Dragonborn. Although, there was a group waiting for you outside, and you seemed friendly enough with them. You also had mud and dirt on your boots, so perhaps you came from outside the city?"

_Nothing I didn't already know_, Aeros thought, but he kept such thoughts to himself. Instead, he inclined his head politely to the couple. "Thank you for the information," he said. "But I'll let you get back to running your inn. It was about time I was on my way as well."

After bidding the innkeeper and his wife farewell, it wasn't long until Aeros was standing outside of Markarth's city gates. He took a deep, calming breath as he looked out over the landscape of the Reach.

"Well, I better get going before the sun gets any lower," he said aloud. "It's a long walk to Rorikstead." As he descended the steps, there was a sudden gust of wind, causing him to shiver slightly, and pull his cloak more tightly around himself. He was glad that he had somehow managed to keep ahold of all of his weapons and armor while drunk, and that they had still been there when he woke up in the Temple of Dibella. He was especially thankful that he had not lost his thick, woolen cloak. Skyrim winters could be harsh and exceedingly cold, especially if one was wearing heavy, metal armor. Fortunately, his cloak managed to stave off the worst of the cold and granted him some small measure of warmth.

As Aeros rounded a bend in the road, Markarth disappeared from view, leaving only him and the winding stretch of road that ran through the twisted crags of the Reach. He was so preoccupied by his thoughts that he almost missed the faint sound of a twig snapping, and the whisper of steel on leather. He came to a stop as a large group of men streamed out of the trees and surrounded him, weapons drawn and forming a ring of steel. Eyeing them warily, Aeros counted eighteen in total, unless they had more lying in wait amongst the trees. They looked to be mercenaries, as their equipment was far better than what the average bandit wore. And judging by their expressions, they hadn't come for a chat. As these thoughts ran through his mind, a single man stepped forward out of the mercenaries' midst. The leader of this band, Aeros guessed, if the high quality dwarven armor he wore was any indication. The man was an Imperial, Nibenese by the look of him, and was of average height for the people of that region. He had long, black hair that combed neatly out of his face, and eyes so dark they could almost be onyx. But his most striking feature was the large, angry-looking, purple bruise that stretched across the right side of his jaw.

"Well, well, well, what do we have here, boys?" the man sneered. "Did the esteemed Dragonborn decide to take a little walk? What's the matter, did you need a breath of fresh air away from all of the people fawning over you?"

Aeros didn't react to the man's taunts, his facial expression remaining stoic. He had no desire to get in a fight with these men; he had enough problems at the moment. "You're in my way," he said simply. "Would you mind moving out of the way?"

The leader of the band of mercenaries laughed harshly, and many of his men echoed him. "I'm afraid there's a bit of a problem here," he said. "You see, I _do _mind. My boys and I have a bit of a bone to pick with you, Dragonborn."

As he spoke, Aeros noticed the large bruise on the man's jaw again, and his eyes narrowed as the pieces fell into place and he finally understood the full extent of the situation he was in. However, he kept his expression carefully neutral as he prepared himself for a fight. "Look, I have no quarrel with you, and let me assure you that you do not to fight me either," he said, his voice betraying none of his thoughts or emotions. "So let's just both go on our way, and pretend like this meeting never happened."

The leader of the group gawked at him, as did several of his men, completely nonplussed at how calm and self-assured the man before them was acting. Recovering quickly, the leader sneered at Aeros. "What's the matter?" he mocked. "Lose your nerve? You certainly had plenty of it last night when you stopped my men and I from having a little fun with that wench, right before you socked me in the jaw and threw us out of the inn." He sneered. "And here I thought that the Dragonborn was supposed to be brave. But it seems that you can't do anything when there aren't a few dozen guards nearby."

He signaled to his men, and they all started to move forward, tightening the ring around Aeros. Aeros simply sighed in resignation. _Sam, you better have that staff fixed by the time I find you_, he thought to himself, as he reached for the hilts of his swords. _If you don't, I just might slug you across the face for all the trouble you've caused me._

The band of mercenaries drew even closer. But as several of them took a step forward, they heard a faint sizzling sound. Glancing down, they froze as they saw the faint outlines of multiple fire runes under their feet.

"When did he-" one of them started to say, before before he was interrupted by a chain of explosions, the explosions tossing half a dozen men into the air like ragdolls, and injuring several more. As the smoke cleared, the surviving mercenaries looked at Aeros with a growing sense of trepidation.

"Don't say I didn't warn you," he told them, smiling grimly, before unleashing hell for a second time. "YOL TOOR!" he shouted, his Voice creating a blast of fire that engulfed another two mercenaries before any of them could react. The hellish flames quickly set the two men alight and within moments they were both burnt to a blackened husk. Horrified by the gruesome fate that their companions had just met, the remaining mercenaries were slow to react as Aeros charged towards them. By the time any of them thought to move or ready their weapon, he was already upon them.

One of the mercenaries closest to Aeros, a heavily armored orc wielding an orichalcum greatsword, swung wildly as he approached. Easily avoiding the panicked attack, Aeros stepped in close and, while the Orsimer was still off-balance from putting too much force behind the blow, plunged one of his swords through a gap in the orc's armor and puncturing one of his lungs. His greatsword slipping from nerveless fingers, the orc fell to his knees, struggling to draw breath as he grasped at the Skyforge steel imbedded in his chest. Aeros put him out of his misery with a quick thrust through the mercenary's neck with his other sword.

Hearing a yell from behind him, Aeros spun, pulling both blades free from the fallen Orsimer just in time to block overhead blows from either side of him, as two of the mercenaries attempted to attack him from multiple directions at once. Shoving both of their weapons back, Aeros booted one of the men, a Redguard back with a kick to the chest. The man staggered back, tripping over the body of one of his fallen comrades. Losing his balance, the Redguard fell over backwards, landing on his backside. Aeros did not see this though, as he had immediately focused his attention on the remaining mercenary in front of him, a Dunmer wielding a pair of war axes. Parrying yet another blow from one of the ashen-skinned elf's axes, Aeros shoved him back.

"Come on, you N'wah!" the Dunmer yelled with a sneer, his crimson eyes glowing with hatred. "Just try and kill m-!" he never got to finish his sentence as, with a deft twist of his wrist, Aeros sent one of the elf's axes flying with one sword and smoothly removed his head with the other. Temporarily releasing his grip on the sword in his left hand, Aeros grabbed the headless elf's remaining war axe as it fell to the ground and spun in place, releasing his grip on it as he came to face the opposite direction of where he had originally been facing. The axe sailed through the air, spinning end over end before it buried itself in the skull of the Redguard, who had only just gotten to his feet again. As the now lifeless corpse collapsed to the ground, Aeros turned to face the remaining six mercenaries, and the last of their frayed nerves snapped in the face of the deadly warrior staring them down.

"F-fall back!" screamed the mercenaries' leader, who had somehow survived Aeros's rune traps with only minor injuries. "We're routed! Fall back!" The man backpedaled away from Aeros as quickly as he could, practically tripping over his own two feet in his haste to get away. His men hesitated for only a moment, before they too turned tail and ran for their lives.

They had only gone a few yards, before a Voice like the winds of a tempest shook the air.

"WULD!"

Aeros appeared in their midst like a gale of the wind itself, his swords mere blurs as he swung them with impossibly fast and precise movements. The panicked and terrified cries of the mercenaries echoed across the crags, before abruptly falling silent.

* * *

Aeros panted from exertion, his breath misting in the chill winter air, as he stood amongst the corpses of the mercenaries. Wiping the blood off of his blades using the clothes of one the bodies, he surveyed the corpses around him in disgust. The word "mercenaries" was too good for the likes of men like these. They were little better than bandits. He had initially planned on sparing any who ran or surrendered, but hearing how callously their leader had spoken of "having some fun" with the innkeep's daughter, and the way his men had all nodded in agreement, had struck a nerve within Aeros, and he had decided at that moment that he couldn't let any of the bastards leave alive.

As he stood there, the wind shifted, blowing right into his face. His nose wrinkled in disgust. _Gods, I smell worse than Brenuin_, he thought to himself. He reeked of booze, dirt, and sweat, and now the scent of blood as well. _All right, first things first. I need to find a river or hot spring and wash some of this stench off me before I reach Rorikstead, so that I don't smell like a damn drunk or lowlife. After that, then I'll head to Rorikstead and try to find Sam._

Finding a river to wash off in didn't prove to be all that hard, and Aeros soon found a small, slow moving tributary of the Karth River not too far from the main road. The only downside of the matter was that it was the middle of winter, and the river was freezing cold. Fortunately, Aeros's beast blood and innate resistance to cold helped ensure that he didn't freeze to death, although he certainly didn't take any longer than he had to in cleaning off. When he was relatively clean and no longer smelled like blood and alcohol, he scrambled back onto the shore and hastily dressed. As he did, he noticed for the first time a small, leather pouch hanging on his belt next to his coin purse. As he pulled it free, he noticed a slight weight to the pouch. Curious, he tugged the drawstrings loose, and upended the pouch's contents into the palm of his hand. Out fell two objects; an amulet of Mara, and a torn and stained folded piece of parchment. Setting aside the amulet for now, Aeros unfolded the piece of parchment to find writing on the inside, along with a significant amount of mead stains. Despite the stains, he was still able to make out the note's relatively simple contents, which read:

"_We need the following to repair the broken staff:_

_Giant's toe_

_Holy water_

_Hagraven feather_

_Sam_

_P.S. Sorry about the temple._

_P.P.S. Check the cells."_

Aeros sighed as he finished reading the note. Well, at least now he knew that Sam hadn't just run off with the staff. Probably. He couldn't make heads nor tails of the second addendum though. _Check the cells? What cells?_ He sighed again. There was no way he was going to get any answers just standing here. Which meant it was off to Rorikstead once more.

* * *

\- Rorikstead -

Two days later, Aeros entered the village of Rorikstead. The villagewas a decent size population-wise, perhaps a little smaller than Riverwood. It had its own inn, a number of wheat mills, and even a blacksmith and a herbalist's hut. However, the majority of the land around the village was taken up by farmland, although the fields lay fallow, waiting until spring for the planting season.

As Aeros walked through the village on the main road, he was stopped by a sudden voice crying out at him.

"You!" a voice cried out. Aeros turned in the direction of the voice and saw a Redguard, a farmer by the look of him, striding towards him angrily. "You've got a lot of nerve showing yourself in this town again," said the Redguard. "What do you have to say for yourself?"

"I'm sorry?" Aeros offered weakly, having no idea what the man was talking about. If anything, his apology only seemed to anger the farmer further.

"Sorry's not good enough," he snapped. "Not while my Gleda is still out there, alone and afraid. You kidnapped her and sold her to that giant. Oh, Gleda," he bemoaned, "the star beauty of my farm. You must be so afraid right now."

"That does sound pretty bad," Aeros admitted. He had kidnapped someone and sold them to a giant?

"You're damned right it does," the man said in agreement, glaring angrily at him. "I'll never breed another prize-winning goat like Gleda!"

_A goat?_ Aeros questioned inside of his head. _I kidnapped a goat? Wait, how the hell did I manage to sell a goat to a giant?_ "Look, er…"

"Ennis!" the man snapped. Aeros nodded.

"Ennis, right. What happened with Gleda again?" he questioned. "I'm a little fuzzy on that."

"You really don't remember stealing a goat and selling her to a giant?" Ennis asked scornfully. "Are you thick?"

Aeros decided to change the subject, before he aggravated the man further. "When I was here last, did I say anything about a staff?" he asked. "Or a man named Sam?"

Ennis scowled. "You might have said something like that...when you were running off with my goat! Tell you what; you bring me back my goat and maybe I'll give a damn about your staff."

Aeros sighed. "Fine," he said. "I'll get your goat back. But how the hell am I supposed to get her to follow me back?"

"Well, when you stole her, you smelled like her favorite feed, but it seems that you at least had the decency to bathe for once. Hmm...wait!" Ennis exclaimed. "The bell!" He started searching his pockets, before he found what he was looking for, pulling out a small, silver handbell. "Gleda loves the sound of this bell!" he explained. "Just ring it, and she''ll be sure to follow. Uh, for a while."

"All right, so where can I find this giant that I sold your goat to?" Aeros asked as he tucked the bell away inside of his coin purse.

Ennis pointed east of the village. "His name is Grok," he said. "He keeps his camp somewhere up in the hills above Rorikstead. It shouldn't be all that hard to find. Now go get her! And don't even think of coming back to Rorikstead until you get Gleda back from that giant."

Following Ennis' directions, Aeros climbed the hills above Rorikstead in search of the giant camp. He searched for several hours, travelling further and further from the village. Finally, he felt faint vibrations through his feet. Following the source of the reverberations, Aeros soon found the giant in question as he patrolled the area around his camp. At his feet trotted a goat.

"All right," Aeros muttered to himself. "I sold the goat to the giant once, surely I can buy it back from him. How hard can it be?"' However, as he approached the camp, Grok shook his club threateningly and grunted something at him in his kind's language. Aeros quickly retreated, not wanting to risk getting into a fight with a giant.

"Okay, so reasoning with him won't work. Now what?" He didn't want to just kill the giant in order to get the goat back, as he had sold it to him in good faith, even if he didn't know _how _he managed to sell it to the giant. So that meant that he was going to have to use trickery somehow. As he pondered how, he remembered a spell that he had learned just recently from an old, musty tome he had found.

Gathering magicka in the palm of his hand, he let it build up, before releasing the spell in Grok's direction. At the giant's feet, a ghostly wolf appeared, biting at the giant's ankles before running away. Roaring in anger, Grok gave chase, swinging his club about as he attempted to hit the familiar. While the giant was distracted, Aeros ran up to where Gleda was still standing, grazing. He began trying to shoo her back in the direction of Rorikstead, but she didn't budge. Quickly glancing over in the direction of Grok, he saw that the giant was still trying to crush his familiar. Remembering the bell that Ennis had given him, Aeros gave it a little ring. Almost immediately, Gleda began affectionately rubbing her head against his leg.

Not wanting to stick around for when Grok came back, Aeros quickly began leading Gleda away, giving the little bell the occasional shake when she began to wander off. As they began descending the hill though, Aeros heard a bellow of anger, and the ground beneath his feet began to shake rhythmically, growing even stronger as the second went by. Glancing over his shoulder, Aeros saw Grok chasing after them. He put on a burst of speed, but with his longer strides, the enraged giant rapidly closed the distance between them. When the giant was only yards away, he lifted his club high overhead as he prepared to crush Aeros with it.

_I hope the Greybeards were right about the strength of my Thu'um,_ Aeros thought to himself. "Sorry about this!" he apologized out loud, although he doubted that the giant understood him.

"FUS RO DAH!"

Struck by the full brunt of Aeros's Shout, Grok was sent flying backwards through the air, surprising both him and even Aeros. While Grok struggled to climb to his feet, Aeros urged Gleda to go even faster, putting as much distance between them and the giant as possible. He heard an anguished bellow behind him, but Grok did not pursue him further.

Once he was sure that the giant was not going to chase after him anymore, Aeros collapsed onto a boulder in relief as he attempted to catch his breath. Gleda nudged at his leg impatiently.

When he was ready to keep going, he got to his feet. "Come on," he said. "Let's go see Ennis." He began leading the goat back in the direction of Rorikstead, more slowly this time now that he did not have to run from a giant. Much to his annoyance however, Gleda would frequently wander off if he went too long without ringing the bell, requiring him to chase her down.

"We've almost reached Rorikstead," he said as they crested another hill. "I'm sure the farmer will be overjoyed to see you." Not hearing Gleda behind him, he turned around to see that the goat had once again wander off.

"Oh, for the love of…" he muttered in exasperation, as he searched about for tracks in the snow. Following them, he soon found Gleda grazing at a bush of snowberries that she had uncovered. "Come on, goat," he said in annoyance. "Let's keep going before-"

He stopped as he felt the ground shake slightly. He looked up in alarm, thinking that Grok had decided to come after him after all. However, what was charging towards him instead, was a wall of fur. _What the hell is a bear doing awake in the middle of the gods-damned winter?!_ He cried silently in his head as a large and very hungry bear charged towards him and Gleda. However, he didn't waste time thinking about it right then.

"Bear! Bear! Run, you stupid piece of shit!" he yelled at Gleda in an attempt to get her to flee. However, the goat stood paralyzed by fear at the sight of the hungry predator. Finally, he gave her a kick to the rear to get her moving. As the goat fled, Aeros threw himself out of the way of the oncoming bear, narrowly avoiding being crushed by several hundred pounds of ornery muscle and hide.

"This is turning out to be a real pain in the ass," he growled, ducking underneath one of the bear's huge paws as it tried to swat at him. In retaliation, he slashed at it with his swords, opening up a gash on its side, and causing it to roar in anger and pain. "What's next, a saber cat deciding it wants a nice, plump goat for dinner too?" Hearing a terrified bleat, he looked up just in time to see Gleda run back past him, much to his confusion. However, his confusion was soon cleared up when he heard a yowl, as a saber cat leaped up onto a rock outcropping overhead and glared down at him.

"I was just joking!" Aeros yelled out in frustration.

* * *

"Gleda!" cried Ennis joyously as the goat came trotting merrily towards him, Aeros trudging along tiredly behind her. He kneeled down and checked her over thoroughly. "And not a scratch on her. Happy day!"

"Now that I got your goat back, can you tell me if I said anything about a staff or a man named Sam?" Aeros asked as Ennis scratched Gleda's chin.

The farmer nodded. "Of course. You know, I still can't figure out why you stole her," he said, referring to Gleda. "You left a note explaining it, but half of it was gibberish and the rest had mead spilled on it. Only thing I could make out said something about 'repaying Ysolda in Whiterun,' and even that was mostly scribbles. I suppose you could try there."

Aeros sighed. "All right, thank you for your help," he said, leaving the man to fawn over his prize-winning goat. _Whiterun, huh?_ he mused, glancing up at the sky. The trip from Rorikstead to Whiterun was a several hours-long journey, and already the sun was beginning to set. _Whiterun can wait, he decided. Right now, what I need is a chance to bandage and treat my injuries, and a nice, warm bed to sleep in. I'll leave in the morning, and with any luck, I'll arrive in Whiterun by late afternoon._

Having made his decision, Aeros immediately headed to the inn and rented a room for the night. After removing his armors and treating the cuts and bruises he had received, courtesy of the bear and saber cat, he collapsed onto his bed. He stared up at the ceiling as he began to feel increasingly drowsy. _I hope I didn't do anything too crazy while I was drunk,_ he thought hazily, before sleep took him. If only he was so lucky.

* * *

Author's Notes: Onwards to Whiterun and more shenanigans! I have to admit I quite enjoyed writing the Rorikstead segment of this chapter. Something about the idea of the Last Dragonborn stealing a goat and selling it to a giant (and apparently speaking fluent Giant while drunk) was always highly amusing, almost as much as finding out who your "bride-to-be" was. On a side note, who else is excited about the remastered edition of Skyrim?

If you enjoyed my story, feel free to favorite and follow it, or to leave a review.

Characters:

Hogni Red-Arm: A Nord meat vendor who runs a stall in Markarth's main market near the city gates.

Kerah: A Redguard pawnbroker who sells jewelry from her stall in Markarth's market. Following the Forsworn attack in the marketplace, you can overhear her arguing with her husband, Endon, about closing up the stall.

Kleppr: The owner and innkeep of Silver-Blood Inn, which he runs with his wife, Frabbi.

Frabbi: Kleppr's wife, she helps him run the Silver-Blood Inn, although they are constantly bickering.

Hroki: Kleppr and Frabbi's daughter, she can be found either helping out at the Silver-Blood Inn or perusing the market. She is somewhat spoiled by her father, who gives her plenty of spending money.

Ennis: A Redguard farmer in the settlement of Rorikstead, and the owner of Gleda the goat. During the events of A Night to Remember, he demands that you bring back Gleda, who you sold to a giant while drunk.

Dragon Language:

Yol Toor = Fire Inferno (First two words of the Fire Breath Shout)

Fus Ro Dah = Force Balance Push (Unrelenting Force Shout)


End file.
